President Barack Obama ’91 has appointed another HLS alumnus to a key post in his administration. Walter Crawford Jones ’88 will serve as the United States executive director of the African Development Bank.
As executive director, Jones will be responsible for representing the United States on the bank’s board of directors. The African Development Bank promotes stable economic growth and poverty reduction in Africa through a broad range of development projects and programs, including policy-based loans and equity investments, technical assistance, and the promotion of public and private investment in the region.
Jones has had a lengthy career in international development, business, law and finance. He is currently a senior investment officer with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, where he structures debt financing for enterprise projects worldwide. He has also served as a legislative assistant on the personal staff of U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD, ret.) handling foreign relations and banking matters. He was an international consultant advising clients on financial, debt restructuring and investment matters, and later served as general counsel and head of private equity for Gravitas Capital Advisors.
Jones has also served on several corporate and non-profit boards of directors, including most recently on the board of directors for Atlas Energy, Inc., and earlier on the Atlas Energy Resources board of directors. In addition to his HLS degree, Jones is also a graduate of Princeton University and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, as well as the George Washington University School of Business and Management.