Christopher Burns
I’m the Vice President of Philanthropy with the Internet Society Foundation.
Most recently, I served as the Chief Digital Development Officer and Director for Technology at the U.S. Agency for International Development, where I led a multidisciplinary team of over 70 in fostering open, inclusive and secure digital ecosystems in partner countries around the world.
During my sixteen years with USAID, I spearheaded the development, deployment and implementation of the Agency’s first Digital Strategy, AI Action Plan and Digital Policy. I also co-created a number of public-private partnerships, including the Digital Impact Alliance, GSMA mWomen Programme, and the Alliance for Affordable Internet.
Prior to USAID, I spent nearly ten years with the Peace Corps, as Program and Training Officer for Peace Corps/Niger, Country Desk Officer for Central Asia, and Agroforestry Advisor in Ghana. I have supervisory and management experience and technical background in digital transformation, natural resources management, agroforestry and food security. All told, I have 29 years of international development experience, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, including 6.5 years living on the continent.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in International Development and Environmental Management from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, and a Master of Science in Development Management from American University in Washington, DC.
In my leisure time, rare as it is, I enjoy turning wooden bowls in my workshop and watching my two kids play soccer. I live with my family in Rockville, Maryland, USA.