Andrew Natsios

Andrew S. Natsios (born September 22, 1949) is an American public servant who has served in a number of Massachusetts and high level federal government positions. Most notably, he has served as Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, and Vice President of World Vision U.S. Currently, Natsios teaches as Executive Professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service and serves as Director for the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs.

Andrew Natsios
Andrew Natsios at Bush School of Government
Special Envoy to Sudan
In office
October 2006  December 2007
Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
In office
May 2001  January 2006
Preceded byJ. Brady Anderson
Succeeded byRandall L. Tobias
Chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority
In office
April 2000  March 2001
Preceded byJames Kerasiotes
Succeeded byDavid P. Forsberg
Secretary of Administration and Finance
In office
March 1999  April 2000
Preceded byFrederick A. Laskey
Succeeded byStephen Crosby
Assistant Administrator, Bureau of Food and Humanitarian Assistance, USAID
In office
1991  January 1993
Chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party
In office
1980–1987
Preceded byGordon M. Nelson
Succeeded byRay Shamie
State Representative, Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office
1975–1987
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Natsios
ResidenceHolliston, Massachusetts
ProfessionPublic Servant

Education

Born in Philadelphia, to Basil and Eta Natsios, Americans of Greek descent, Andrew received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Georgetown University in 1971 and his Master in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard in 1979.

Career

Natsios served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1975 to 1987, focusing on public finance and municipal government. During this time, he co-authored Proposition 2½ (a property tax cutting law) and State Zoning Law Chapter 808.[1] He was also chairman of the Town of Holliston By-Law Study Committee and Treasurer for the Industrial Development Commission. In 1986, Natsios introduced legislation to repeal the Massachusetts Teachers' Oath, a product of the 1930s that remained law in the Commonwealth even after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court invalidated the law in 1967. The legislation passed without opposition. He was named Legislator of the Year by the Massachusetts Municipal Association in 1978, and by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees and Citizen for Limited Taxation in 1986.[2]

Natsios was also the Chairman of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee for seven years. He directed the rebuilding of the party's institutional capacity, and implemented a strategy of focusing on races for the state legislature. The state party's income increased significantly during this period, as did the services they offered to candidates, and the number of Republicans in the legislative delegation increased by 17%.[3]

A 23-year veteran of the United States Army Reserve, Natsios was commissioned second lieutenant at Georgetown University (ROTC) in 1971. He was a civil affairs officer and served in the Gulf War in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait City, and on the Joint Staff of the Pentagon in 1993 working on Somalia and Bosnia. He retired in 1995 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

He directed the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance at USAID from 1989 to 1991 and served as Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Food and Humanitarian Assistance (now the Bureau of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance) from 1991 to January 1993.

Under Natsios, OFDA focused its attention on civil wars and famines, which research had found were responsible for more than twice the amount of deaths from natural disasters. The first Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DART) were developed under Natsios's predecessor, Julia Taft, but were first deployed under Natsios' orders. The first version of the Field Operations Guide For Disaster Assessment and Response (FOG) was issued under his auspices.

Natsios was Assistance Administrator during the 1991-1992 Somali famine, and as such played a major role in terms of humanitarian aid. USAID's relief strategy consisted of several key elements: sale of food to Somali merchants to lower food prices; providing free food at feeding stations in urban areas; providing free dry food in bulk in rural areas; enhancing security; decentralization and distributing food in a number of different areas to stop mass population movements.[4]

From 1993 to 1998, Natsios served as Vice President of International Programs for World Vision U.S.

Natsios was one of the first people to blow the whistle on the devastating North Korean famine, writing in a Washington Post op-ed in early 1997, "The evidence is incontestible".[5] He travelled to North Korea in June 1997 with World Vision, and was involved in relief efforts as the leader of the Emergency Relief Committee of InterAction, a consortium of American NGOs. Natsios later published a book on the crisis entitled The Great North Korean Famine.[6]

From March 1999 to April 2000, he served as Secretary for Administration and Finance for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In 2001, Natsios took over as Chairman and CEO of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and CEO of Boston's Central Artery Project (the Big Dig) after a cost overrun scandal. Once in command, he replaced eight senior figures, including the project manager, commissioned a new audit, and developed strategies to tackle the cost overruns, including putting the $151 million from land sales to Harvard University towards paying for future unexpected costs.[7][8] He also contributed to the designs for surface restoration for once the project was completed.

In May 2001, Natsios was sworn in as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). While serving as Administrator, he also served as Special Humanitarian Assistance Coordinator for Sudan and U.S. Government Coordinator for International Disaster Assistance.

Natsios articulated his approach to foreign aid in an article he wrote during his time as Administrator, entitled The Nine Principles of Reconstruction and Development. These principles, he wrote, "distill fundamental lessons" and "bring greater clarity to the operative principles that inform the mission of USAID."[9] The nine principles are: ownership (build on local leadership and commitment); capacity building (strengthen local institutions and transfer technical skills); sustainability; selectivity (allocate resources based on need, local commitment, and foreign policy interests); assessment (conduct research and adapt best practices for local conditions); results (have clearly defined, measurable, and strategically focused objectives); partnership; flexibility; and accountability.

Early in his term as Administrator, Natsios set up the Office of Conflict Mitigation and Management, and directed that conflict provisions be added to country strategies. This was crucial, given that sixty percent of the countries with USAID mission had been involved in civil wars or major conflicts in the preceding five years.[10] In addition, Natsios led the creation of USAID's Fragile State Strategy, which, as he stated in its introduction, directed USAID "to focus our efforts on those countries where will be able to have the greatest impact."[11]

The Office of Military Affairs (now the Office of Office of Civilian-Military Cooperation) was also created during his term as administrator, to serve as the primary point of contact with the Department of Defense and allow for personnel exchange and policy development.[12]

Natsios also worked to advance USAID's commitment to inclusive development by passing a policy directive that mandated that requests for funding explain how they will instead work to ensure that people with disabilities are included and not discriminated against. Another policy directive also required that all USAID funded new construction and major renovations be accessible for people with disabilities. A Disability Coordinator position and an External Advisory Committee were also both created during his term.[13]

Under Natsios, USAID initiated a relief program in Darfur in September 2003, nearly half a year before any action began at the U.N.[14] Sam Brownback, then Senator from Kansas, credits Natsois as the person "who hit the button on Darfur."[15] In order to show the devastation and scale of the Janjawiid militia attacks, Natsios ordered before and after satellite photos taken of villages in Darfur. He also commissioned a report on the expected death rates in Darfur, should the humanitarian response be insufficient or delayed. His warnings led to President Bush using political pressure on to Sudanese leader to try and stop the violence, as well as billions of dollars of aid being sent to Sudan.[16]

His position on funding for antiretrovirals in Sub Saharan Africa remains an enduring part of his career at USAID and was emblematic of the position of the US government of the time. In a statement prepared for the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Relations in June 2001, he responded to a proposal for an increase in antiretroviral funding as suggested by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan:

"If we had [antiretrovirals] today we could not distribute them. We could not administer the program because we do not have the doctors, we do not have the roads, we do not have the cold chain. This sounds small and some people, if you have traveled to rural Africa you know this, this is not a criticism, just a different world. People do not know what watches and clocks are. They do not use Western means for telling time."[17]

However, in an interview with the Fletcher Forum of World Affairs in 2003, he discussed how his thinking had changed, partly due to the impact of public pressure. "We are trying [a retroviral program in Ghana], and if it works, we are going to extend it. Anything we can do to reduce the spread of the disease, and keep people alive, we are going to do."[18]

As Administrator, Natsios oversaw the creation and implementation of the first Global Development Alliances (GDAs) – partnerships between USAID and the private sector. In the first fifteen years of operation, more than 1,500 GDAs – involving over 3,500 partner organizations and valued at more than $20 billion – were created.[19] Natsios also helped launch major presidential initiatives, including PEPFAR and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI).

After visiting a project site of a USAID designed and funded program, but seeing no mention of USAID, Natsios reported that he was motivated to start a branding campaign, and ensure that credit was being appropriately given. The USAID logo was put on USAID funded projects, and a media campaign was also implemented, increasing America's approval rating in foreign countries. [20] Natsios also oversaw the redesign of the USAID logo, which was updated to include the tagline "From the American People" so as to emphasis the contributions of the American taxpayer.[21]

Natsios advocated for changes to the United States' food aid system that would allow food to be purchased locally. This would be cheaper – and faster – than shipping in American grown grain. Speaking at a food aid conference in Kansas City in 2005, he said "The fact that U.S. farmers and shippers are able to benefit from Food for Peace program is an important but secondary benefit. The primary objective is to save lives." However, pressures from agricultural groups, shipping companies and humanitarian groups involved in distributing food aid prevented the reforms from passing.[22]

He resigned from USAID on January 14, 2006.[23] President Bush appointed him Special Envoy for Darfur in 2006.[24] As Special Envoy, Natsios played a key role in managing relations between the United States and Sudan, including about implementing the North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and helping humanitarian aid reach those in need. He retired as special envoy in 2007 when Rich Williamson was appointed as the new special envoy to Sudan[25]

In an April 2003 interview with Ted Koppel, Natsios suggested that the total cost of rebuilding Iraq would not exceed $1.7 billion to U.S. taxpayers.[26] Actual figures have proven to be considerably higher.[27]

From 2006 to 2012, Natsios taught as a Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy and served as an Advisor on International Development at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Currently, Natsios teaches courses on international development and famine theory at Texas A&M's George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service and serves as the Director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs.

Natsios was a Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow at the United States Institute for Peace from 1998 to 1999 and a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute from 2008 to the present.

Boards

Currently, Natsios serves Chair of the Program Advisory Committee for Harvest Plus,[28] a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy, and Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Order of St. Andrew. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Management and Training Corporation and on the Advisory Board for FOCUS North America (domestic Eastern Orthodox Christian charities consortium) and the Institute for Global Engagement. He is also the emeritus Co-Chairman for the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea,[29] and a former member of the Board of Directors of the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy.

Awards and accolades

Andrew Natsios was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Alpha Omega Council of New England (Greek-American service organization) in 2012 as well as by the Society for International Development in 2011. He also received honorary doctorates from Marquette University in 2008 and from Georgetown University in 2002.

Publications

Andrew Natsios has authored numerous articles on foreign policy and humanitarian emergencies, as well as three books: Sudan, South Sudan, and Darfur: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press, 2012), The Great North Korean Famine (U.S. Institute for Peace, 2001), and U.S. Foreign Policy and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1997).

Natsios has also contributed to thirteen books, written over 40 articles for publications such as Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, and is currently contributing to a World Report blog by U.S. News and World Report.

Family

A native of Holliston, Massachusetts, Natsios and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children and two grandchildren.

See also

References

  1. Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40A
  2. "Natsios, Andrew S." 2001-2009.state.gov. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  3. Natsios, Andrew (1990-09-23). "On Being Republican in the State of Massachusetts: Notes of A Party Chairman". New England Journal of Public Policy. 6: 2.
  4. "Special Briefing on Aid to Somalia and Kenya | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  5. Natsios, Andrew (February 9, 1997). "Feed North Korea; Don't Play Politics With Hunger". The Washington Post.
  6. "- LIFE INSIDE NORTH KOREA". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  7. "Big Dig Heads Vow to Plug Hole". State Net Capitol Journal - Massachusetts. 2000-07-19.
  8. "Natsios vows to clean up Big Dig ; Top managers hit the road". The Patriot Ledger. 2000-04-14.
  9. Natsios, Andrew (2005). "The Nine Principles of Reconstruction and Development". Parameters. 35: 4–20.
  10. "America's Global Leadership: Why Diplomacy and Development Matter". House Foreign Affairs Committee. 2019-02-27. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  11. USAID (2005). "Fragile State Strategy" (PDF).
  12. Kauffeld, Benjamin (2014). "USAID & DOD: Analysis and Recommendations to Enhance Development-Military Cooperation" (PDF). United States Army War College Press.
  13. "Background on USAID and Inclusive Development" (PDF). 2009-07-06.
  14. De Waal, Alex, author. (8 December 2017). Mass starvation : the history and future of famine. ISBN 978-1-5095-2470-9. OCLC 1002302923.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. Cockett, Richard (2010). Sudan: Darfur and the Failure of an African State. Yale University Press.
  16. "The Cassandra Curse: Why We Heed Some Warnings, And Ignore Others". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  17. Paul Farmer, Jim Kim, Matthew Basilico, and Arthur Kleinman. Reimagining Global Health: An Introduction (page 119)
  18. "HIV/AIDS and Development: The U.S. Response - An Interview with USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios". Fletcher Forum of World Affairs. 27 (2). Summer–Fall 2003.
  19. "Global Development Alliances (GDAs),United States Agency for International Development" (PDF). OECD. 2016.
  20. "Andrew Natsios Interview" (PDF). The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project. 2018.
  21. "USAID Branding | U.S. Agency for International Development". www.usaid.gov. 2017-03-31. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  22. Thurow and Kilman (2009). Enough: Why the World's Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty. PublicAffairs.
  23. "Top U.S. Foreign Aid Official Steps Down: NPR". Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  24. "President Bush Addresses United Nations General Assembly:White House Archive". 2006-09-19. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  25. "Rep. Frank R. Wolf (VA) on Sudan". n.d. Archived from the original on 24 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
  26. "USAID: Assistance for Iraq – Nightline: Project Iraq, April 23, 2003". fas.org. April 29, 2003. Archived from the original on December 24, 2003. Retrieved April 29, 2003.
  27. "harvard.edu: The Financial Legacy of Iraq and Afghanistan: How Wartime Spending Decisions Will Constrain Future National Security Budgets". harvard.edu. March 6, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  28. "Governance". HarvestPlus. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  29. "The Board of Directors". The U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
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