Mr. Luis A. Rivera began his assignment as Mission Director in USAID/Central Asia in September 2023. A member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Counselor, Mr. Rivera has been in the Foreign Service for almost 18 years. Prior to this assignment, he was the Acting Director for the Agency’s Office of Acquisition and Assistance where he served as a strategic and operational partner to deliver impactful development and humanitarian assistance in over 90 Missions by investing approximately $30 billion through complex contracts and grants mechanisms. As Deputy Director of Foreign Operations for the same office, he bridged between Washington, D.C., and the field, led a team of 600 staff, and formulated business and policy solutions to position the Agency to respond to its development and humanitarian mandates on a global scale.
Mr. Rivera has served in Jordan, from where he supported programs in Syria, Pakistan, and Central and South America.
During his eight years at the Peace Corps, he served as the Director of Finance and Administration where he supported and oversaw operations located in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands; and completed assignments in Moscow, Russia, and in Turkmenistan. Prior to working in development, Mr. Rivera worked in the private sector.
Mr. Rivera holds a joint Masters of Business Administration in International Finance and Management from New York University, and the London School of Economics, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Business and French from Southern Illinois University. He holds a post-graduate certificate in International Relations/Negotiations from Harvard Kennedy School. He speaks Spanish (native), fluent French, Portuguese, and Russian. Mr. Rivera was among the first group of Peace Corps Volunteers in the Kyrgyz Republic where he also supported the production of an educational film, a first of its kind that unveils the country’s culture and history, which was featured on PBS. Mr. Rivera has received numerous awards from USAID and the Department of State for exceptional service.