BOSTON -- J. Brian Atwood, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development since 1993, will resign his post next month to head up international development programs at Citizens Energy Corporation.
Atwood, a native of Wareham, will become Executive Vice President of Citizens Energy. He will establish a new enterprise at the Boston-based company to devise and implement international development programs on behalf of companies seeking or required to invest in countries in which they run commercial operations.
The top-level Clinton administration official’s latest assignment has been leading Kosovo relief efforts in the Balkans and just recently withdrew his nomination as Ambassador to Brazil. His resignation becomes effective July 9.
“We are tremendously excited by the prospect of working with my good friend Brian Atwood” said Citizens Energy President and Chairman Joseph P. Kenney II. “He has a proven track record of working with developing nations to bring about economic and social advancement by coordinating the efforts of international institutions and private companies.”
Citizens Energy Corporation, founded by Kennedy in 1979, consist of a set of for-profit ventures that support a wide array of social and charitable programs in the U.S. and abroad, including a low-cost home heating oil program for elderly and low-income families in Massachusetts.
“I look forward to an exciting new venture that will provide an opportunity to harness private resources to build democratic, market economies,” said Atwood. “Citizens Energy has a proud history of helping less fortunate Americans and citizens of the developing world.
“Joe Kennedy is committed to building on this record and I look forward to working with him to offer private companies the opportunity to do in the developing world what is in their interest and what is right.”