Beth Dunford
VP of Agriculture, Human and Social Development, African Development Bank
Dr. Beth Dunford is African Development Bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development. She is responsible for the Bank’s strategy, lending and other activities in agriculture, water and sanitation, education, and health, as well as Bank-wide work on employment and gender equity. Dr. Dunford leads technical expertise for the Bank’s multi-billion-dollar response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa.
Dr. Dunford, a national of the United States, has held senior level leadership positions in the U.S. government where she managed large programs working with the private sector, civil society and multilateral institutions. Dr. Dunford has also worked with African governments to deliver agricultural, social and human development impact at scale.
Dr. Dunford has worked as Assistant to the Administrator in USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, and as Deputy Coordinator for Development for “Feed the Future,” the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative.