WASHINGTON D.C. -- Richard Greene was sworn in last week as the new Mission Director for Bangladesh for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah administered the oath.

As Mission Director for Bangladesh, Greene will oversee one of the largest USAID development assistance programs in the world in terms of funding and staff size. Currently, U.S. assistance to Bangladesh includes support for free, fair, and credible elections and more transparent and accountable governance; support for a better educated, healthier, and more productive population; and resources to increase economic opportunities through equitable economic growth, improved food security, and disaster mitigation.

Prior to being named as Mission Director, Greene served as the Director of the Office of Health, Infectious Diseases, and Nutrition in USAID’s Bureau for Global Health since 2003. Greene previously served in Bangladesh as Deputy Chief of USAID’s Office of Population, Health, and Nutrition from 1994 to 1999. He also has served in Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Sudan.

During the ceremony, the Administrator cited Richard’s “exceptional work on the design and launch of the President’s Malaria Initiative, a life-saving Initiative, which earned him the honor of being named the Federal Employee of the Year in 2008.”

During his remarks at the ceremony, Greene stated, "I would like to thank the Administrator for giving me the opportunity to work in Bangladesh for USAID. This is both a great honor and a tremendous responsibility. I also look forward to working closely with the Government of Bangladesh on all aspects of its development agenda."

Greene received a Master of Arts in history from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1976 and a Master of Public Health, with a specialty in epidemiology, from UCLA in 1982. From 1978 to 1980, he was a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer to Ivory Coast.

For more information about USAID and its programs around the world, please visit www.usaid.gov.