Deputy Assistant Administrator Laura Abrahams Schulz oversees the DDI Program Office and Office of Administrative Management Services. Previously, Ms. Schulz was the Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Economic Growth, Education and Environment Bureau (E3), where she oversaw the Water; Professional Development and Management Services; and Planning, Learning and Coordination (PLC) offices.  
 
While in E3, Ms. Schulz was the Director of PLC, an office responsible for budget and program management of an annual $300 million portfolio, as well as communications, knowledge management, evaluation, and learning for the E3 Bureau.  Ms. Schulz previously served as the Division Chief for Local Sustainability, where she oversaw $50 million in annual grants and other programs that strengthened USAID’s partnerships with non-governmental organizations.  Ms. Schulz served for two years as Director of Global Engagement at the National Security Council, where she led interagency policy processes on civil society and freedom of association; religious leader engagement; and young leaders.  
 
Before joining USAID, Ms. Schulz managed the Middle East and Africa portfolio at the Congressional Research Service. Prior to that, Ms. Schulz worked for nearly 15 years supporting civil society programs in the Middle East, including with the U.S. Department of State, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the National Democratic Institute, where she was based in the West Bank.
 
Ms. Schulz holds a Master’s Degree in Arab Studies from Georgetown University, a dual Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and International Relations from Brown University, and speaks Arabic and French.