Chris joined the Institute as the Director of Economic Competitiveness in August 2026. Prior to formally joining the team, Chris served as the Institute’s third Diplomatic Fellow.
Before joining the Institute, Chris served for over twenty years overseas in leadership positions as a Foreign Service Officer with the US Department of State. Chris joined the Foreign Service in 2005 and has served in London, Managua, Lilongwe, Basrah, Santiago, Addis Ababa, and Juba. He recently served as the first-ever Climate Officer for the United States Mission to the African Union (USAU) from 2022-2025 where he was responsible for developing and leading diplomatic initiatives and programs to advance US cooperation with Africa on climate change. During his tour in Addis Ababa, Chris led USAU for considerable periods as both the Chargé d’Affaires and the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission.
Chris joined USAU after serving as the Deputy Political and Economic Counselor in Juba, South Sudan, where he focused on public financial management reform efforts and its linkages with corruption in the oil sector. Previously, Chris served from 2017-2021 as the Regional Environment Officer for East Africa, where he developed and implemented strategies and initiatives on transboundary environment, science, and global health issues in a 15-nation region.
Chris studied biology at Reed College, received his Master of Environmental Management from Yale University’s School of Environment, and served in the Peace Corps for three years where he worked for the Uganda Wildlife Authority in Lake Mburo National Park. After graduate school, Chris worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Washington, D.C.—as a Presidential Management Fellow—and then moved back home to San Diego, California, where he worked on the Palomar Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest.
Chris’ return to San Diego to join the Institute brings him full circle. As the Director of Economic Competitiveness, he will apply his diplomatic skills closer to home to promote economic development and integration.