Obama appoints Indian-American Smita Singh to a key post

The Obama administration has announced to appoint yet another Indian-American to a key administrative post, after it named Smita Singh as member of the president's Global Development Council.

"The Council will inform and provide advice to the President and other senior US officials on US global development policies and practices, support new and existing public-private partnerships, and increase awareness and action in support of development by soliciting public input on current and emerging issues in the field of global development," the White House said.

The Global Development Council was established in February through an executive order of the President. Along with Singh, Obama also announced names of eight other members of the Council including its Chair Mohamed a El-Erian.

"These dedicated and accomplished individuals will be valued additions to my Administration as we tackle the important challenges facing America. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead," Obama said.

According to a brief bio released by the White House, Smita Singh was the Special Advisor for Global Affairs and the founding Director of the Global Development Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, where she worked from 2001 to 2010.

From 1998 to 2001, she was a scholar at the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies. Previously, Singh consulted for the World Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission on Africa. She was the first Program Officer for Higher Education Innovative Projects at the Commission on National and Community Service, now known as the Corporation for National and Community Service. Before joining the Commission, Singh worked at ABC News' Nightline.

She is on the governing boards of Oxfam America, Revenue Watch Institute, and the Center for Global Development, and is a Member of the Aspen Strategy Group.

She received a B.A from Stanford University and an A.M from Harvard University.

The Council, being administered by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), comprises of 12 individuals from  a variety of sectors outside the Federal Government, including, among others, institutions of higher education, non-profit and philanthropic organizations, civil society, and private industry.

In addition to these 12 individuals, the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Defense, the USAID Administrator, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation serves on the Council as non-voting members.