Donald Hays
Diplomat in Residence, Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations
Bosnia | Western Balkans | Postconflict Peacekeeping | United Nations Reform
ARCHIVED SPECIALIST PROFILE
Phone: (202) 429-3881
E-mail: peaceoperations@usip.org
Languages: French, German, some Russian
Ambassador Donald Hays is currently a diplomat in residence in the Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations at USIP, where he works on various issues dealing with postconflict recovery in the Balkans. He was the UN principal deputy high representative in Bosnia Herzegovina (2001–05), where he focused on economic matters, state-building, and local self-governance.
Prior to that assignment, he served as U.S. ambassador for UN reform (1999–2001). From 1996 to 1999, Hays was at the Department of State, charged first with the oversight of the European Bureau and later with the department’s response to the threat posed by international terrorism as director of management policy and planning. During his thirty-year career with the U.S. Foreign Service, Hays served in Vietnam, Cyprus, the Soviet Union, West Africa, Germany, and Pakistan. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he served with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam (1968–70).
He has received numerous medals and honors including Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal, Air Medal, Vietnam Service and Vietnam Campaign Medal, Presidential Distinguished Service Award, two State Department Distinguished Honor Awards, four Department of State Superior Honor Awards, Senior Performance Pay Award, and three Performance Pay Awards.
Hays received his B.A. in political science from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and did postgraduate work at both Georgetown University and Princeton University.
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