Ms. Maria A Longi joined the War College faculty in 2018. Previously she served as the Acting Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for the Middle East at the U.S. Agency for International Development, overseeing the efforts of USAID missions and development programs in 10 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. She managed a large and varied portfolio that provided nearly $1.7 billion annually in assistance across the region, including to Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the West Bank and Gaza, and Libya. Immediately prior to joining USAID in December 2015, Ms. Longi served as the Director for Management Policy and Resources in the State Department Bureau of International Organization Affairs - responsible for U.S. government policies toward over 60 international organizations in the areas of administration, management, and internal oversight. Previously, she worked as Deputy Coordinator in the Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia at the U.S. Department of State. This office coordinates the bilateral economic, security, democracy, and humanitarian assistance of all U.S. Government agencies providing assistance to 18 states of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. From 2006-2008, Ms. Longi worked at the Millennium Challenge Corporation as the Director for Threshold Programs in 10 developing countries. She volunteered with the American Bar Association, Central and East European Law Initiative in Armenia from 2000-2001, and served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer from 1997-1999 as a non-governmental organization advisor on environmental issues in Poland. Prior to this, she practiced commercial real estate and environmental law in Cincinnati, Ohio, and also worked as a chemical engineer. Ms. Longi has a B.S. in chemical engineering from Northwestern University, a J.D. from Northern Kentucky University, graduating Magna cum laude, and a Master’s Degree in National Security Strategy in 2012 from the National War College. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Ms. Longi now resides in Washington, DC.
Functional Expertise: International development; strategic planning; international organizations
Regional Expertise: Former Soviet Union, Middle East
Email: maria.a.longi.civ@ndu.edu