Mr. Walid Maalouf is from Kfarkatra , Shouf. He migrated in 1979 to the United States of America. He graduated from Belmont Abbey-Sacred Heart College in Belmont, North Carolina.

He served as the Director of Public Diplomacy for Middle Eastern & MEPI Affairs at U.S. Agency for International Development from 2004 till 2009. He was responsible for enhancing communications between the agency and the broader Middle Eastern community in America and abroad. He also served as the Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2003. While at the US Mission in New York, he was the first United States representative to deliver a speech at the United Nations in Arabic.

Prior to these two presidential appointments Mr. Maalouf was an international banker for fourteen years. He served on a number of civic boards and organized several conventions. He is a member of numerous organizations including the Consular Corps of Washington, DC, and is a Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Mr. Maalouf received several awards including the 2006 Distinguished Wall of Fame from his alma mater, USAID’s Meritorious Honor Award in 2005 and two certificate of appreciation in 2008. He was the recipient of the Patriarchal Golden Cross of Jerusalem from the Melkite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, Alexandria and Jerusalem in 1998. He also has been recognized for his dedicated commitment to public service and community organizations.

Mr. Maalouf has been interviewed and written for numerous magazines and newspapers. His book, How Many Times… I Told You - Reflections, Memories and Hope for Lebanon was published in 2007. He lectures in universities, civil society, international private and governmental organizations.

To learn more about Walid Maalouf please visit his website at www.walidmaalouf.com