As Mission Director for Burma, Teresa McGhie oversees critical USAID programs that support efforts to strengthen the country’s transition to democracy, expand economic opportunity, improve the health and resilience of vulnerable communities, further national reconciliation, and promote greater international cooperation. She was sworn in on June 17, 2016.

Before joining the Burma Mission in July 2014, Ms. McGhie most recently served as Mission Director for South Sudan. She led USAID efforts to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance, support civil society and independent media to ensure that diverse voices are heard, and conflict mitigation, trauma and reconciliation activities in the world’s youngest country.

Ms. McGhie also served as USAID's Mission Director in Angola, Deputy Mission Director in Mozambique, and Regional Legal Adviser in Sudan. In Angola, Ms. McGhie oversaw programs supporting democracy and governance, elections, economic growth, prevention of HIV/AIDS and the President's Malaria Initiative. In Sudan she provided legal advice for USAID’s largest humanitarian program at the time and for the Mission's complex development programs.

Her extensive career in USAID’s Foreign Service also brought her to Bangkok as part of the Regional Development Mission for Asia, as well as to Nairobi where she served in the East Africa Regional Mission. She joined USAID in 2000 as a legal officer.

A lawyer by training, Ms. McGhie worked as an associate attorney with Sidley and Austin in Washington, D.C., and with Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe in New York City before joining USAID. She also served as the assistant director of the International Legal Studies Program and as director of the Summer Law Program in Chile for American University’s Washington College of Law.

Ms. McGhie holds a Bachelor's degree in political science from Utah State University and a law degree from American University. She is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service at the rank of Minister Counselor.