Washington, DC — The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) released the following statement from Executive Director Liz Schrayer:

“President Obama’s nomination of Daniel Yohannes to be the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) fills one of the important positions responsible for overseeing the U.S. International Affairs Budget.   Mr. Yohannes has an impressive resume from the business world and a uniquely American story having arrived in Los Angeles at the age of 17 as an exchange student from Ethiopia with only $150 in his pocket.

“This nomination adds to the commitments the Obama administration has already shown in elevating America’s smart power tools of development and diplomacy, such as the President’s robust FY 2010 Budget Request, the Presidential Study Directive on Global Development Policy and the State Department’s Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review.

While the USGLC is pleased with these positive steps, we are concerned about the lack of leadership at the U.S. Agency for International Development. The vacancy of a permanent Administrator is a serious impediment in implementing a positive, new agenda, and we look forward to a nomination for this key position very soon.

“The USGLC congratulates Mr. Yohannes on his nomination, and we look forward to working with him and the eventual nominee for USAID Administrator in elevating the important roles development and diplomacy play in American foreign policy.”

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (www.usglc.org) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states who support a smart power approach of elevating diplomacy and development alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world.