Silver Spring Woman Named Acting Director Of Peace Corps

SILVER SPRING, MD — Carol Spahn, a Silver Spring resident and longtime Peace Corps official, has been named acting director of the organization.

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. selected Spahn to lead the agency on Jan. 20. She will serve as acting director until the Biden-Harris administration selects a permanent replacement.

"It is an honor to serve the Peace Corps and our country," said Spahn. "From my time as a volunteer in Romania to my years as a country director in Malawi, I have loved my work for the Peace Corps, the American people, and the people of the countries where I have served. I am grateful the Biden-Harris transition team has accorded me the privilege of serving in this new role."

Spahn brings more than 25 years of public and private sector experience to the position, according to the Peace Corps. From 1994 to 1996, she was a Peace Corps volunteer in Romania, where she taught entrepreneurs about business ethics, marketing, and financial management.

She left the organization a short time later and worked for several D.C.-based nonprofits, including Women for Women International — which supports female survivors of war — and Accordia Global Health Foundation — which helps fight infectious disease in Africa.

Spahn returned to the Peace Corps in 2014 and served as the country director of Peace Corps/Malawi for five years. Before being tapped as acting director, Spahn served as the Peace Corps' chief of operations in the Africa Region.