Gary Edson is a former
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
government official, entrepreneur, and former president of
Conservation International
Conservation International (CI) is an American nonprofit environmental organization headquartered in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia.
CI's work focuses on science, policy and partnership with businesses, governments and communities. The organ ...
. He served previously as chief executive officer of the
Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that concluded operations in late 2012.
From 2001 to 2004, Edson served in the administration of
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
as
Deputy National Security Advisor
The United States Deputy National Security Advisor is a member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and the United States National Security Council, serving under the President's National Security Advisor.
Among other res ...
and deputy assistant to the president for international economic affairs; he was also Deputy National Economic Advisor. In addition, he was the chief U.S. negotiator or “sherpa” for all presidential summits, including the
G8,
APEC
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. , US-EU, and the
Summits of the Americas
The Summit of the Americas (SOA) is an international summit meeting that brings together the leaders of countries in the Organization of American States (OAS). Cuba was expelled from the OAS under pressure from the United States after the Cuba ...
.
Edson co-led the development of the $45 billion
President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
The United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is a United States governmental initiative to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and help save the lives of those suffering from the disease. Launched by U.S. President Geor ...
, the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative. He is also credited with establishing 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 ...
(MCC) to fight global poverty. The MCC uses increased aid to reward countries demonstrating a commitment to
good governance
Good governance is the process of measuring how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources and guarantee the realization of human rights in a manner essentially free of abuse and corruption and with due regard for th ...
.
Edson left government in 2005 because of a serious illness, from which he has since recovered. He was a managing director at
Stonebridge International
Dentons Global Advisors ASG, formerly Albright Stonebridge Group, is a global business strategy firm based in Washington, D.C., United States. It was created in 2009 through the merger of international consulting firms The Albright Group, found ...
, and for a time sat on the
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
One observer described Edson as “brainy” and “impatient… a spicy jalapeno pepper in the midst of the smooth cream cheese” of the White House. Former secretary of state
James A. Baker has called him “indispensable,” noting, "I've never known anybody from whom the taxpayers get a better deal." In her 2011 memoir, former secretary of state
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th Uni ...
praises Edson as being "one of the best 'policy engineers' I'd ever known, one of those rare individuals who can take an idea from inception to implementation."
Early career
Earlier in his career, Edson served as chief of staff and general counsel to U.S. Trade Representative
Carla A. Hills from 1989 to 1992, and special assistant to Deputy Secretary of State
Kenneth W. Dam from 1982 to 1985. He headed a
private equity
In the field of finance, the term private equity (PE) refers to investment funds, usually limited partnerships (LP), which buy and restructure financially weak companies that produce goods and provide services. A private-equity fund is both a ty ...
firm, ECG, Inc., which acquired PAR Systems, Inc, a manufacturer of robotics systems, of which Edson was chairman of the board.
Education
Edson received a B.A. with honors in anthropology from
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
in 1977, and J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from The
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
in 1982. He was a
Henry Luce Scholar
A Luce Scholar is a recipient of a cultural exchange and vocational fellowship sponsored by the Henry Luce Foundation, a private foundation established by Time, Inc. founder Henry R. Luce.
The program
Founded in 1974, The Luce Scholars Progra ...
in Japan, 1977–1978.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edson, Gary
Year of birth missing (living people)
United States presidential advisors
George W. Bush administration personnel
Living people
Stanford University alumni
University of Chicago Law School alumni
University of Chicago Booth School of Business alumni