January 7, 2020
ARLINGTON, VA. – Counterpart International is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian Dotson as Director of its United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) portfolio. Brian brings to Counterpart more than 25 years of international development experience, with expertise in applying private sector approaches to agricultural and agribusiness development in emerging markets.
Brian will lead the implementation of Counterpart’s new USDA-funded, five-year program, The Future is Ours, in collaboration with local partners ARED, EcoDev, and ONG Actions. The Future is Ours (2019 – 2024) will assist the Government of Mauritania to reduce hunger, improve health, and strengthen the primary education system in 209 schools in the regions of Brakna and Gorgol.
“Brian’s passion for connecting international development organizations, entrepreneurs, and smallholder farmers to co-invest in improving food security and nutrition makes him uniquely suited for this role,” said Dr. Ann Hudock, President and CEO of Counterpart International. “He has deep expertise in designing and managing programs that produce real and sustainable socio-economic impact that is critical to ensuring high quality program outcomes and growing our partnership with USDA.”
Prior to joining Counterpart, Brian managed successful donor-funded and corporate philanthropy programs at the local, national, regional, and global levels. As a Project Team Director, Africa, at Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI), Brian oversaw a $100+ million portfolio of projects within DAI’s Africa region, serving as the main interface between field staff, clients, and the home office and contributed to the development and implementation of the Africa Region new business strategy.
Previously, Brian was Global Director of Programs at Land O’ Lakes International, in Nairobi, Kenya. In this role, he directed the global field operations of Land O’Lakes’ donor-funded agricultural and economic development and shared value program. Land O’Lakes, a Fortune 200 company and one of the world’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives, assists farmers, cooperatives, and agribusinesses in developing countries to grow profitable businesses. While in this role, Brian oversaw the overall operations, performance, financial and risk management, and implementation of 13 country programs spanning Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Before joining Land O’Lakes, Brian was Chief of Party for Population Services International-Benin, where he managed a $6.5 million per year country program funded by USAID, KfW, and UNICEF and oversaw the social marketing of 12 health-related products and services.
Brian began his international development career as a water and sanitation volunteer for the United States Peace Corps in Mauritania, bringing long-standing knowledge of the country and region to his current position with Counterpart. In this role, he established a health extension agent network and trained health agents in 17 rural villages, which reduced Guinea Worm infection rates in targeted communities by 25%.
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