USAID announces new Mission Director for Lebanon

Herbol's new assignment will place her in charge of all USAID activities in Lebanon with a focus on three main areas: economic opportunity, democratic governance, and water and the environment.

USAID also provided support to the Government of Lebanon during its reconstruction phase.

"Denise has the perfect combination of scholarship, professional integrity, and common sense that enables her to make difficult decisions in the interests of all concerned parties. These attributes will serve her well in this very diverse country,"

said Administrator Fore during remarks at the ceremony.

Prior to becoming the Director, Herbol was appointed Deputy Mission Director in Iraq, leading one of USAID's most complex and challenging programs, valued at $1.1bn in FY 2007.

In addition to overseeing programs in democracy and governance, capacity development, economic growth and community stabilization (a key counter-insurgency program), Herbol was the lead coordinator for the U.S. Embassy in support of internally displaced persons in Iraq.

Herbol has been with USAID's Foreign Service for nearly 20 years and has served in Colombia, India, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Uganda, Belize, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Albania.

From 2004 until 2007 she was the Supervisory Executive Officer to USAID's Mission in Colombia where she participated as a member of the 43-section interagency team developing a consolidated, U.S. Government multi-year country strategy and an annual country operational plan addressing counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism.

From 1999 to 2004, Herbol was the Supervisory Executive Officer in the Regional Mission of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. She provided critical security support to all three Missions in the wake of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

From 1997 to 1999, Herbol was the Supervisory Executive Officer to USAID's Mission in Uganda.

Following the East Africa bombings, Herbol provided administrative and logistical support to the expanded Embassy from her residence for three months.

From 1994 to 1997 Herbol served in USAID's Mission to Albania.

When the Government of Albania fell due to the collapse of extensive banking pyramid schemes, Herbol was part of the core interagency team that remained to support the Embassy evacuation in March 1997.

Herbol received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh.

She attended the Federal Executive Institute's Executive Leadership Program in 2002 and was the first USAID employee to participate in the National Security Decision Making Workshop held at the U.S. Air War College in Alabama in 2007.

A native of Pennsylvania, Herbol has three children.