Leslie Reed

Leslie Reed began her tour as USAID Mission Director for Egypt in August 2020 and is leading USAID/Egypt to support US and Egyptian government priorities in climate change, COVID-19 response, anti-corruption, women's social and economic empowerment, economic growth, and social and economic inclusion, among others. Before arriving in Egypt, she most recently served as Mission Director in South Sudan where she led the development of the mission’s new country strategy, the establishment of a new FSN (local staff) Advisory Leadership Council, and the USG humanitarian response to ongoing civil strife, historic floods, rising food insecurity and COVID-19. She served as Mission Director for Ethiopia from 2016 to 2019, where she led a major effort to promote Ethiopian government reforms, the development of the Mission’s new country strategy, and the USG's efforts to address several complex humanitarian crises. As Mission Director for Uganda from 2012–2016, Ms. Reed pioneered the Mission of Leaders Program that received agency-wide accolades for empowering staff to lead at all levels, resulting in greater development results. Ms. Reed also served as Deputy Regional Mission Director for USAID's Southern Africa Mission, as USAID’s Assistant General Counsel for Africa in Washington D.C., and as a Foreign Service regional legal advisor in Lima, Peru, and Accra, Ghana. Before joining USAID, Ms. Reed was a senior project finance officer and assistant general counsel for the Export-Import Bank of the United States and an associate with the law firm of Morrison & Foerster in Los Angeles. Ms. Reed is a graduate of UCLA School of Law and the University of California, San Diego.