We invite you for a conversation discussing the global impact of the budget cuts, organizational restructuring, and widespread layoffs at USAID, the primary agency for foreign aid and development assistance in the United States. The audience will hear from Pacific Council member Aimee Teplinsky, Supervisory Program Manager, DRG Bureau, USAID. Stay tuned for updates on date and time.

Why It's Important:

• On January 20, President Trump issued an executive order calling for a 90-day pause on U.S. foreign assistance, stating that the U.S. foreign aid industry and bureaucracy, “serve to destabilize world peace.”
• About 10,000 USAID employees were laid off globally and several hundred awards and contracts administered by the Agency were cancelled. 
• Such cuts to humanitarian aid are estimated to result in 18 million additional cases of malaria, one million children unable to be treated for malnutrition, and 200,000 children paralyzed by polio. 
• The elimination of aid contracts total over $500 million in Afghanistan, $126 million in Syria, $67 million in Yemen, and $12 million in Gaza.

Please feel free to send in questions in advance to events@pacificcouncil.org.

Guest Speaker

Aimee Teplinsky, originally from Los Angeles, has over 20 years of experience in Washington DC and abroad in the field of international development focusing primarily on conflict and post-conflict countries working with local stakeholders on local governance. Working with USAID implementers and most recently with USAID’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG), Aimee has managed the operations of $20M - $500M projects with a variety of international donors including USAID, DFID (UK), FFO (Germany), The World Bank, and UN. Ms. Teplinsky has extensive experience in institutional development, financial management, strategic planning, and workforce development. In addition to conducting training in Afghanistan, Rwanda, Liberia, Tunisia, Turkey, and Bangladesh, she developed capacity building curricula customizing sessions based on participant education levels and professional experience. She holds both a Masters in International Conflict Resolution and a Masters of Business Administration from American University.