Sharon Cromer was sworn in as the Mission Director for USAID/Ghana in July 2017.  This is her second assignment as Mission Director of USAID/Ghana; she also held this position from 2002 to 2007. In Ghana, Cromer advances USAID's strategy, working in close coordination with country stakeholders including the Ghana Government to strengthen economic growth and trade; health and nutrition; education and democracy and human rights and governance. Previously, Cromer served as USAID/Tanzania Mission Director, where she oversaw USAID's nearly $2 billion, five-year strategy to advance Tanzania’s socio-economic transformation to middle income country status.

Prior to her posting in Tanzania, Cromer served for two years as USAID’s Acting Assistant Administrator for Africa, overseeing programs totaling more than $6.4 billion and operations in 27 missions across sub-Saharan Africa, overseeing programs totaling more than $6.4 billion per year and operations in 27 missions across sub-sharan Africa.

A Career Minister in the Senior Foreign Service, Cromer has 30 years of experience in international humanitarian and development assistance. Prior to her appointment to the Africa Bureau, Cromer served as the Acting Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, and assumed the position of Deputy Assistant Administrator for Management in September 2009. From 2007 to 2009, Cromer served as Mission Director of USAID/Nigeria, implementing an annual $500 million assistance program in one of the largest, most important U.S. allies in Africa.

Prior to Nigeria, she served in Ghana and subsequently, she was assigned to USAID Missions in Pakistan, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, and Indonesia.

Born in Washington, D.C., Cromer is a graduate of Barnard College at Columbia University and has a law degree from Georgetown University.