Paul Sabatine joined USAID Democratic Republic of the Congo as Mission Director in August 2018.  He is a member of the Senior Foreign Service, with the rank of Counselor.  He joined USAID in 1996 and served initially as a civil service Financial Management Specialist in the Bureau for Global Programs, Field Support and Research.  He later served as an Investment Officer in the Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade, a Program Officer in the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, and the Regional Coordinator for Africa in the Bureau for Program and Policy Coordination.

In 2004, Mr. Sabatine joined the Foreign Service as a Program Officer and served overseas in Bangladesh (2004-2008), Mali (2008-2010), Pakistan (2010-2011), Afghanistan (2011) and again in Bangladesh (2012-2017).  Since June 2017, he has served as the Senior Development Advisor for USAID/Libya.  He speaks French, Spanish and Bangla.

Mr. Sabatine’s education includes a Master of International Trade and Investment Policy and a Master of Business Administration, both from the George Washington University in Washington, DC.  He also holds a Master of Arts in Theology from Mount Angel Seminary in St. Benedict, OR.  He completed undergraduate studies at the Catholic University of America, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy.

Mr. Sabatine has received numerous awards during his career, including several Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards from USAID and the State Department.  In 1998, he received the USAID Inspector General’s Achievement Award, and in 2016, he received a USAID Distinguished Honor Award in recognition of his leadership, resilience and inspirational management after a colleague was killed by ISIS-affiliated terrorists in Bangladesh.

Outside of the office, Mr. Sabatine served for many years as a board member and volunteer with Eglal’s ABC School, a school serving street children from the slum areas of Dhaka.

Mr. Sabatine has two adopted sons from Bangladesh.