David Austin spent the majority of his career working in the humanitarian and development sector, with a focus on DPRK from 2010 – 2014, while working with Mercy Corps. During that time he travelled throughout North Korea on agriculture and disaster assistance. From 2010-2012 he worked closely with his USNGO counterparts on food security and co-lead a joint food assessment.
Additionally, David served with the US State Departmert from 2005-2009 as a senior advisor and chief of staff to US Ambassador Tony Hall at the UN Food and Agriculture Agencies in Rome, then on a special initiative with the religious leaders of the Holy Land as part of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. David spent six years with the UN World Food Programme as the Director of Strategic Partnerships where he worked with US based foundations, organizations, philanthropists and private sector leaders to accelerate the momentum of economic development to help end global hunger. He has served in various leadership and board roles on numerous non-profit organizations, and private companies. David is a strong advocate for American humanitarian leadership and investing in young people to secure a robust and stable future. David received his MBA at the University of Portland; a Masters of Arts from St. John’s College in Annapolis; and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington.