John J. Danilovich

[5] Danilovich attended The Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut (1968) and received a BA in political science from Stanford University (1972), having made the Dean's List of Honor Students.

[12] As Chief of the largest diplomatic mission in South America, Danilovich managed relations with Brazilian Federal, State and local leaders on a range of issues such as trade, energy, and commercial developments.

[16] On August 11, 2005, President George W. Bush announced his intention to nominate John J. Danilovich to be the second Chief Executive Officer of the MCC[2] following an initial period of what many considered to be a slow and rocky start for the corporation.

This means that John Danilovich, the former oil shipping executive and Republican activist who took over the agency this week, figures he has less than nine months to restore its reputation – and, in the view of its supporters, save it from becoming a footnote in America's efforts to fight poverty overseas.

"[19] In his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Danilovich committed himself to improving MCC operations and focus on a more strategic vision in order "to be transformative, to stay targeted, and to deliver results.

"[7] Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar lauded Danilovich's "deep understanding of the international economy…an important asset to the MCC, as it moves into its next phase of development.

[23] For a country to be selected as eligible for an MCC assistance program, it must demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, investments in its people, and economic freedom as measured by different policy indicators.

[24] During his time as CEO, multi-year economic growth and poverty reduction programs with 18 countries – ranging from large-scale infrastructure to microfinance to public sector reform – were approved by Congress and implemented in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Eurasia.

"[28] At the end of his tenure, Danilovich was widely credited for transforming the new initiative into a successful and acknowledged institution, bringing strategic vision, and forging alliances with new partners, which received bi-partisan praise from senior government, business and development experts.

By placing emphasis on good governance and democratic norms, the MCA has lessened the potential for U.S. foreign aid to be used to prop up authoritarian regimes and increased the likelihood it will go to programs that help people on the ground.

Senators following Danilovich's term as CEO praised the organization for what it had accomplished in such a short period: "The MCA, which began as a presidential initiative, is now recognized by many experts as the most forward-thinking and innovative development program in our foreign assistance portfolio.