Veena Reddy is the first Indian American head of USAID in India
A career member of the US senior foreign service, Veena Reddy, has taken over as the first Indian American mission director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in India.
Reddy said on Thursday that she would work to strengthen the organisation’s seven-decade-old partnership with the government of India.
The acting head of the US embassy, ambassador Atul Keshap, expressed “pride and admiration” and said this reflects the “accomplishments of Indian Americans in all walks of life in America”.
Reddy, born in Andhra Pradesh, has an extensive background in development and diplomacy.
Reddy, born in Andhra Pradesh, has an extensive background in development and diplomacy. She has served as USAID’s mission director in Cambodia and deputy mission director in Haiti, while in Washington she has been an assistant general counsel, covering legal matters for USAID’s programmes in Asia and the Middle East.
Reddy has also worked as a corporate attorney in New York, London and Los Angeles. She holds a doctor of jurisprudence from Columbia University School of Law and an MA and BA from the University of Chicago.
“For the past seven decades, USAID has partnered with the people and government of India to build a peaceful and prosperous society. During that time our partnership has evolved, and I look forward to further strengthening our relationship,” Reddy said.
