WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Sarah-Ann Lynch was sworn in as the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Mission Director for Iraq. As director of the mission, Ms. Lynch will have the primary responsibility for overseeing programs that work with Iraqis to strengthen their democratic institutions, improve governance, and promote civil society and private sector growth while improving the quality of primary health care services.

"We are at a crossroads for our mission in Iraq," said USAID Associate Administrator Mark Feierstein. "We will begin to work with the Iraqis to help them use their own money to pay for the technical expertise they still need."

 USAID has continued to help Iraqis use their own resources to build a self-reliant and prosperous country. Ms. Lynch brings with her experience as the Director of the Office of Iraq and Arabian Peninsula Affairs in Washington, DC.

 “We’re reminded of how much Iraq has gone through over the past ten years, how much has been accomplished, and how much can still be done. Working in partnership with the Iraqi people and government, USAID continues to support the aspirations of the country’s people for a stable, prosperous and democratic Iraq. Sarah-Ann’s experience with the agency makes her uniquely qualified to head our Mission in Iraq,” said USAID Acting Assistant Administrator for the Middle East Alina Romanowski during today’s swearing-in ceremony.

 Ms. Lynch has served with USAID since 1993 in Bangladesh, Peru, and Afghanistan.  In Washington, she has served in the Bureaus of the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia, as well as the Bureau of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, and the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs. Prior to USAID, she worked in both international business and for a non-governmental organization before settling on a career in international development.  Ms. Lynch also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco where she taught English at the secondary level.  Ms. Lynch is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, and holds Masters Degrees from The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University and the National War College.