Ambassador Danilovich Streamlines MCC’s Internal Processes by Realigning Departments and Announces Two Senior Staff Additions

Washington, D.C. – Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) CEO Ambassador John Danilovich announced the realignment of several internal departments within the agency in order to streamline MCC's internal processes.

Development Policy, International Relations, and the Threshold Program will combine into a new office of Policy and International Relations. MCC's Board has approved Rodney Bent as the new Vice President for Policy and International Relations. He is a senior officer of the Corporation who will report to the CEO. Mr. Bent has extensive foreign policy and development expertise. Most recently he served as a Professional Staff Member for the House Appropriations Committee responsible for appropriation and oversight for USAID programs, U.S. Export-Import Bank, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

Prior to his Congressional work, Mr. Bent was Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Planning and Director for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, Iraq. He spent 20 years at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, rising to Deputy Associate Director for the International Affairs Division in 1998. Mr. Bent has an A.B. in History and an M.B.A. from Cornell University and a master's degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

The Markets and Sector Assessments department has been dissolved, and the Fiscal Accountability and Environment and Social Impact units of that department will be incorporated into the former Monitoring and Evaluation office now called the Department of Accountability headed by Vice President Charles O. Sethness. The Infrastructure, Agriculture, and Financial and Private Sector units of the Markets and Sector Assessments group will be combined with the former Country Programs department, now renamed the Department of Operations, under Vice President John Hewko.

The new Chief of Staff is Matthew McLean, an experienced foreign policy professional. Prior to MCC, he served as a professional staff member for the House International Relations Committee responsible for management of the United States' foreign assistance portfolio, including the Millennium Challenge Account.

Before his tenure on the Hill, Mr. McLean served two tours on the National Security Council at the White House. As Director for African Affairs and previously as Director of Planning and Contingency Operations, he was charged with supporting the President and National Security Advisor on African issues and global international operations. Between tours at the NSC, he was the Senior Policy Coordinator for USAID. Mr. McLean received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Design from Brigham Young University and a master's degree from George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs.

“These reorganizations will help us produce high quality Compact programs more effectively,” said Ambassador Danilovich. “I am excited to work with the senior officials and the professional team of development experts at MCC to implement the mission of reducing poverty through sustainable economic growth.”

Since its establishment in 2004, MCC has signed Compacts totaling more than $900 million with five nations, Madagascar, Honduras, Cape Verde, Nicaragua, and Georgia. MCC is also actively engaging with other MCA-eligible countries in Compact negotiations and currently expects to sign three more within the next few months. Under the fiscal year 2005 Threshold Program, MCC has committed nearly $13 million to help improve girls' primary education in Burkina Faso and almost $21 million to help Malawians fight corruption. Additional Threshold proposals are in the final stages of completion and are expected to be received by MCC within the next few months.

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Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government corporation designed to work with some of the poorest countries in the world, is based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces good governance, economic freedom, and investments in people that promote economic growth and elimination of extreme poverty.