The Emerging Leaders in Environmental and Energy Policy Network

Organization: 
Agency for International Development (USAID)
Job Title: 
Energy and Environment Foreign Service Officer

Gary is currently the Senior Energy Advisor for the Power Africa Coordinator's Office based in Pretoria, South Africa. Power Africa is a US Government initiative involving 12 agencies to bring 30,000 MW and 60 million electricity connections to sub-Saharan Africa. As a member of the USAID Foreign Service, he served in Kabul, Afghanistan from 2012 to 2013 as a Division Chief in the USAID Office of Economic Growth and Infrastructure where he coordinated and managed over $1 billion in US civilian energy and water infrastructure assistance. Gary also served in the Republic of Georgia from 2011 to 2013 as an energy and environment officer for the Tbilisi mission, assisting management of foreign assistance programs for gas and power infrastructure and low emission development strategies. Gary holds graduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in technology policy and in urban planning with a focus on international development. His thesis focused on the economic, policy and technical aspect of integration of carbon sequestration coal power plants into the electricity grid. Gary also holds degrees in electrical engineering from Princeton University and Columbia University.  He is particularly interested in practical and effective applications of energy technology and policy in the developing world.