A native of Nigeria, she was confirmed to this position on Thurday, October 21, by President Joe Biden,after serving as Chief Operating Officer and Acting Director since February 2.
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority development projects in emerging economies. USTDA connects U.S. companies to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership-building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and promote economic growth in partner countries.
Enoh Titilayo Ebong holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School, a Master of Arts in Communication from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Arts in History, with distinction, from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She is also a member of the Massachusetts Bar,
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She joined the USTDA in 2004 as a legal advisor. She worked there until 2019 and was, from 2015 to 2019, deputy director and director of operations. She has also held other positions including Interim Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Deputy General Counsel and General Counsel. During her tenure at USTDA, Enoh T. Ebong has partnered with the agency’s director on all major program, policy, operational and talent decisions. She provided authoritative legal advice and guidance on all program and operational activities. In addition, she represented USTDA in matters affecting the agency and provided legal advice to the agency director on broad issues related to the agency’s mission, strategic direction, and effectiveness. As Acting Regional Director for Africa, she led USTDA’s Sub-Saharan Africa portfolio; facilitated the programming of $9.6 million in USTDA funds in the energy, transportation and ICT sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa. She also oversaw the development of the agency’s initial strategy for energy investments in Rwanda, which ultimately led to the agency’s support for two hydropower projects that began in 2016, with the potential to provide electricity to nearly 100,000 people in rural areas.
First term as interim director
Enoh T.Ebong served as USTDA’s interim director from January 2017 to July 2017. During this time, she led a staff of 125 experts in 8 locations around the world in the development and execution of USTDA’s international program and oversaw all agency operations. Returns on investment increased by 43%, generating $104 in U.S. exports for every dollar programmed, up from $73 before his tenure. At the end of her time as acting director, Congress provided the agency with the largest budget in the agency’s history, $75 million, a 25% increase over the previous budget.
Return to USTDA in a special context
Prior to her return to USTDA, Enoh T. Ebong served as director of strategic partnerships at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, where she led the development of strategic partnerships to expand access to education, health, financial empowerment and entrepreneurship. “It is an honor to return to USTDA. The opportunity to lead the Agency comes at a critical time when the world is looking to the United States for leadership in clean energy and climate smart infrastructure, as well as safe and secure ICT solutions. The Agency is one of the U.S. government’s most effective, focused and proven tools. I have long believed in USTDA’s mission and program, which are fully aligned with the President’s vision to strengthen our economy and address climate as a critical component of U.S. foreign policy and national security” ,said Enoh T. Ebong.
Prior to joining USTDA in 2004, Enoh T.Ebong worked as an attorney in the Boston office of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris and Popeo, P.C., representing public and private companies in public offerings, financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance matters.
Promoting Diversity
As a people-focused leader, Enoh T. Ebong prioritizes communication, collaboration, training and opportunity creation. For example, she created USTDA’s first-ever Diversity Advisory Group to examine recruitment barriers faced by underrepresented groups. From 2015 to 2017, USTDA was named one of the “Best Places to Work” in the U.S. Government’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Surveys.
In addition, Enoh T. Ebong is a senior associate for the Prosperity and Development Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and global faculty lead for Atlas Service Corps’ Global Leadership Lab.
