Megan Doherty serves as the Deputy Assistant Administrator (DAA) in the Bureau for Planning, Learning and Resource Management (PLR) where she oversees the Office of Development Cooperation (ODC) and the Communications team. Prior to this position, Ms. Doherty served at the White House as the Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the First Lady of the United States. From 2021 to August 2023, she served as the DAA in USAID’s Bureau for Middle East, with a portfolio that included oversight and management of USAID programs in Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and the West Bank and Gaza, as well as broader issues related to democracy and fragility in the region.
Ms. Doherty brings 20 years of public policy experience from both within and outside government, with a focus on development, diplomacy, partnerships, and multilateral affairs. Previously, Ms. Doherty served as Mercy Corps' Senior Director for Policy and Advocacy where she led efforts to influence the policy and practices of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and multilateral institutions.
She previously held positions on the National Security Council and at the Department of State in the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau where she advised senior U.S. government officials on U.S. policy priorities and strategies in the Middle East and North Africa. Ms. Doherty also held various positions at the National Democratic Institute where she oversaw democracy, governance, gender, elections and development programs throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
Ms. Doherty holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia.