Lawrence Anthony Pezzullo[1][2][3] (occasionally alternately spelled as Pezzulo[4][5]) (May 3, 1926 – July 26, 2017) was an American diplomat and Foreign Service officer.
In 1972, he earned a master's degree from National War College[6] and was assigned to the Office of Central American Affairs at the State Department, before being named deputy director in 1974.
[9] During his tenure as ambassador, Pezzullo negotiated the abdication of Anastasio Somoza DeBayle and paved way for Sandinista rule in the country.
[10] In 1983, he was appointed as the first layman director of the international Catholic Relief Services and helped relocate the headquarters of the organization from New York City to Baltimore.
[6] After leaving Catholic Relief Services, Pezzullo was named special envoy to Haiti by President Bill Clinton in 1993 with the aim of brokering a transition from military to civilian rule.