He received special recognition for his role in reorienting these programs to meet the new challenges of the post-Cold War era.

He was responsible for a broad range of political, security and economic issues facing large parts of the former Soviet Union.

Ambassador to Belarus from 1997 to 2000, Speckhard worked closely with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the European Union in promoting democratic reform, human rights, and institutional development.

From 2003 to 2005, Speckhard served at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as director of Policy Planning – responsible for advising and assisting the Secretary General of NATO, senior NATO management, and the North Atlantic Council in addressing strategic issues facing the alliance.

[3] On April 11, 2014, Lutheran World Relief (LWR) announced that Speckhard was named president and CEO.