Aaron Williams receives presidential appointment to UNICEF Executive Board

WASHINGTON— Aaron Williams, executive vice president of government relations and corporate communications at RTI International, has been appointed by President Barack Obama as U.S. Alternative Representative to the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund.

The Executive Board is the governing body of UNICEF, comprised of 36 members representing the five regional groups of member states at the United Nations dedicated to saving and protecting the world's most vulnerable children. The executive board provides intergovernmental support and oversight to UNICEF by reviewing activities and approving policies, country programs and budgets.

"This appointment further exemplifies Aaron's longtime commitment to improving the human condition worldwide for children and families," said Wayne Holden, Ph.D., president and CEO at RTI. "His dedication, passion, insight and extensive international experience will contribute to making policies that are cost-effective, actionable, culturally acceptable, and ultimately save children's lives."

Williams serves as RTI's executive vice president of Government Relations and Corporate Communications after years of experience in international development with RTI and the U.S. government. He served as executive vice president of RTI's international development group from 2012-2015. He was vice president of international business development at RTI from 2003-2009, after which he was appointed by President Obama as Director of the U.S. Peace Corps, a role he served in until returning to RTI in 2012.

He also previously served for 22 years as a senior official at the United States Agency for International Development, where he attained the rank of career minister in the Senior Foreign Service. He received the USAID Distinguished Career Service Award in 1998 and the Presidential Award for Distinguished Service in 1988 and 1992.

Williams holds a master's in business administration from the University of Wisconsin and a bachelor's degree from Chicago State University.