Paul Bonicelli

Paul J. Bonicelli, PhD., was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 25, 2007, as Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United States Agency for International Development.

Prior to this appointment, he served since October 3, 2005 as Deputy assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance at USAID.

As Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bonicelli was responsible for USAID's democracy and governance programs and chaired the State Department's Governing Justly and Democratically interagency committee for the Director of Foreign Assistance. He oversaw coordination of foreign assistance for democracy promotion and good governance, working in particular with the various bureaus of the Department of State and the National Security Council.

Bonicelli's previous government service includes working as a professional staff member for the House International Relations Committee. Bonicelli also served intermittently as a consultant to the Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs, and in 2001 and 2002, he was tapped by the White House to serve as a private sector delegate to the United Nations where his task was to advocate for the Bush administration's policies.

Before joining the Bush administration at USAID, Bonicelli served six years as dean of academic affairs and associate professor of Government at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, VA. As chief academic officer, he oversaw the development of the college's academic programs and recruited the faculty. He also taught foreign policy and comparative politics. He recently served as Provost of Houston Baptist University in Texas.

Previous academic service includes serving as assistant professor of Political Science at Grove City College (PA). Prior to receiving his doctorate at the University of Tennessee, he worked in electoral politics at the national level, and served as a researcher and analyst in Washington, DC.

From USAID biography