David Thompson was sworn in as USAID Mission Director for South Sudan on October 1, 2024. He joined the USAID Foreign Service in 2003. From 2020 to 2024, David served as Power Africa Deputy Coordinator, based in Pretoria, South Africa. From 2015 to 2020, he was USAID Deputy Mission Director in Tanzania. David also served as Chief of the Policy, Outreach, Strategy and Evaluation Unit, Office of Development Planning, in the Bureau for Africa (2013-2015); Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Strategic and Program Planning, Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning (2012-2013); Director of the Office of Democracy and Governance in Afghanistan (2011-2012) and Honduras (2008-2011); and Director of the Program Office in Albania (2004-2007). Before joining USAID, David lived and worked in Brazil. From 2000 to 2001, he was South Africa Country Director for CHF International (now Global Communities), advancing U.S. government-funded economic and housing initiatives. From 1996 to 1998, he led initiatives in Bosnia-Herzegovina to support the return of displaced persons with the reconstruction of housing, schools, clinics, and infrastructure.
David was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tunisia, a VISTA volunteer in Waterbury, Connecticut, and a construction manager in his home area of Washington, DC. David has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture from the University of Virginia, a Master of Arts Degree in International Development Policy from Duke University, and a Master of Science Degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College.