WASHINGTON, D.C. – E. Jed Barton was sworn in today as the new Mission Director for Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus in Kyiv, Ukraine for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Agency Counselor David E. Eckerson administered the oath of office.

As Director of the Regional Mission, Barton will be responsible for the U.S. Government’s assistance in these countries. He will oversee programs supporting the region’s continued efforts towards broad-based, market-oriented democracies.

Prior to this assignment, Barton served as Deputy Mission Director for Strategic Planning at USAID/Afghanistan. He managed the offices of Program and Project Development, Democracy and Governance, Economic Growth and Infrastructure, and at three of five regional command platforms. From August 2005 to June 2011, Barton was USAID’s Regional Controller in Egypt. In this capacity, he established the agency’s largest overseas financial service center, the primary coordinating office for financial management in-service training, and a hub tasked with developing technology solutions for financial management operations.

A Senior Foreign Service Officer with a rank of Counselor, Barton joined USAID as a Foreign Service Officer in August 1989. In addition to his positions in Afghanistan and Egypt, notable assignments include Regional Controller at USAID/Peru, Controller for USAID/Nepal, Deputy Controller at USAID/Bolivia, and Financial Management Officer in USAID’s East Africa regional center.

He received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Utah and a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing, with minors in Accounting and Spanish, from Utah State University.