Celebrating Deputy Administrator Paloma Adams-Allen

After almost three years of exemplary leadership, Deputy Administrator for Management and Resources Paloma Adams-Allen will be leaving USAID on April 30. Not one part of our Agency's reform agenda would have been possible without Paloma's vision, leadership, and drive to accomplish difficult things. I join colleagues from across USAID in offering my gratitude to her for propelling this work forward.

Over the past three years, Paloma has driven the policy changes that will allow USAID to tap into the expertise and skills of more U.S. and local organizations. As the scale of global challenges continue to dwarf our development resources, Paloma has been at the heart of our push to unlock more of the private sector partnerships that are key to tackling these challenges. And she has led efforts to reduce the administrative burdens and bureaucracy that make it harder for our teams to do their most impactful work and for a diverse range of partners to work with us - spearheading an initiative that has already resulted in the elimination of an estimated 3.8 million hours of inefficient, duplicative, or outdated processes.

Critically, as the Agency's very first Deputy Administrator dedicated to management and resources, Paloma has championed a wide-ranging set of efforts to strengthen USAID's workforce. She has been a powerful advocate with our Congressional partners for the investments we need to rebuild teams that for too long had been depleted and under-resourced. Among her longest-lasting legacies will be the changes she spearheaded with USAID's local staff, from better supporting them during times of crisis, to affording them greater access to training and fellowship opportunities, to opening up career paths and leadership positions so they could advance in their careers.

Throughout her tenure, Paloma has led with unfailing compassion. She has worked tirelessly to improve USAID's systems and structures to protect our workforce and make our Agency maximally effective. She has been dedicated to strengthening the Agency's safeguards - for our workers and our program participants - against sexual exploitation and abuse and other forms of misconduct. And in times of crisis, Paloma is always the first to advocate for the importance of meeting the most urgent needs of our teams and partners.

Throughout her career - including as Deputy Assistant Administrator and Senior Advisor in the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean in the Obama Administration, as President of the Inter-American Foundation, and finally, as Deputy Administrator for USAID during the Biden Administration - Paloma has put human dignity at the heart of her work. She leaves an indelible mark on this Agency, and her legacy will continue to guide us after her departure.

On a personal level, Paloma has also been for me a trusted advisor and friend, a savvy and skillful thought partner whenever we have faced both big challenges and big opportunities for advancing USAID's mission, and an essential part of the leadership team I have learned so much from over the past three years.

President Biden has announced his intent to designate Dennis Vega as Acting Deputy Administrator for Management and Resources. I am grateful to Dennis for the tremendous impact he has already made at USAID and in the communities where we work, and I look forward to his leadership and guidance in continuing to pursue reforms and advocate for policies and programs that will change and save lives.