Chidi Blyden is an American foreign policy advisor who serves as deputy chief executive officer of the

Millennium Challenge Corporation The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a bilateral United States foreign aid agency established by the U.S. Congress in 2004. It is an independent agency separate from the State Department and USAID. It provides grants to countries that h ...

. Previously, Blyden was the

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Assistant Secretary of Defense is a title used for many high-level executive positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the U.S. Department of Defense. The Assistant Secretary of Defense title is junior to Under Secretary of Defen ...

for African Affairs.

Education

Blyden, whose family is originally from Sierra Leone, attended the

Annie Walsh Memorial School The Annie Walsh Memorial School is an all-girls secondary school in Freetown, Sierra Leone. It was established in 1849 originally in Charlotte, Sierra Leone, Charlotte, a newly established village for recaptives. It is claimed to be the oldest g ...

. Later, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

and a Master of Science in conflict, analysis, and resolution from the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at

George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...

. She speaks French and Krio.

Career

Blyden began her national security career with the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. There, she managed academic programs and outreach. In 2013, Blyden joined the

Obama Administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took office following a decisive victory over Republican ...

as Special Assistant and peacekeeping advisor in the Office of Stability & Humanitarian Affairs at the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...

. Later, she also served as the special assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs. After leaving government in 2017, Blyden led the African program at the

Center for Civilians in Conflict The Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) is a Washington, D.C. based non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO). CIVIC was founded in 2003 by Marla Ruzicka as the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict. CIVIC works on behalf of civilians ...

, developing and delivering training to African defense forces on civilian harm mitigation. In 2019, she joined the

United States House Committee on Armed Services The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee or HASC, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for funding and oversight of the Department of Defe ...

as a professional staff member focusing on security issues in Africa and South and Central America. In May 2021, Blyden was named as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs. In October 2023, Blyden was appointed deputy chief executive officer of the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blyden, Chidi Living people United States Department of Defense officials Women government officials Obama administration personnel Biden administration personnel Annie Walsh Memorial School alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Sierra Leone Creole people