Sonila “Soni” Hysi is the Senior Development Advisor for USAID Syria. She is part of the senior leadership of the Syria Regional Platform in Istanbul, Turkey, overseeing USAID’s stabilization and humanitarian efforts across Syria. Soni also served as the Deputy Mission Director with USAID/Ethiopia, responsible for diverse development and humanitarian assistance portfolios in Ethiopia. She is a member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, and has served extensively in the field and Washington, D.C. during her 18 years with USAID, spanning multiple regions and development portfolios.
Prior to joining USAID, Soni was a strategic management consultant. She holds a BA in Economics and International Relations, and an MS in Engineering-Economic Systems and Operations Research, both from Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA). She also holds an MS degree in National Security Strategic Studies from the National War College (Washington, D.C.).