Michael McCord is a career Senior Foreign Service Officer with the rank of Counselor and began his assignment as the USAID/Laos Country Representative in June 2024. Most recently, Michael served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia. His previous assignments include Senior Development Advisor to the Pentagon, Deputy Mission Director in Zimbabwe, Deputy Mission Director in Afghanistan, Supervisory Program Officer in South Africa, Supervisory Program Officer in South Sudan, Stabilization Unit Director in Afghanistan, Supervisory Program Officer in Zambia, and Project Development Officer in Ethiopia. He also served as a USAID Democracy Fellow in Eritrea. Prior to entering the Foreign Service with USAID, Michael managed democracy and governance and humanitarian relief activities, beginning in 1994 in Rwanda. He is a U.S. Army veteran, with both active and reserve service, including mobilization to Afghanistan from 2002-2003. Michael has a J.D. from the University of Oregon (Maryland Bar) and a B.A. in Economics from San Diego State University. A native of Oceanside, California, Michael is married to Judith, and they have four grown children.