Sherri G. Kraham

Deputy Vice President, Department of Policy and International Relations

Sherri G. Kraham is the Deputy Vice President for the Department of Policy and International Relations at the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).  The Department is responsible for managing the annual country selection process and promoting policy reform, executing the Threshold Program, ensuring effective donor coordination.  The Department also works to develop policies and strategies for strengthening MCC’s innovative approach to international development assistance including conducting economic analysis and rigorous independent evaluations of MCC programs and increasing private sector trade and investment.

Ms. Kraham previously served as Managing Director for the Development Policy division, which monitors trends in development policy and practice and works with the development community to identify and incorporate best practices, promotes policy reform in developing countries, and managing the annual process of selecting MCA eligible country partners.

Prior to joining MCC in 2004, Ms. Kraham worked at the U.S. Department of State for seven years.  In 2003, she served a year-long assignment in Iraq for the Coalition Provisional Authority as part of the first civilian team dedicated to reconstruction efforts, as the Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget and Director of the Program Review Board.  Before serving in Iraq, she served as an advisor to an Under Secretary of State, where she oversaw various U.S. foreign assistance programs of approximately $5 billion annually, which focused on development, humanitarian assistance, democracy promotion, human rights, peacekeeping and security.  From 1998 – 2001, Ms. Kraham worked as the Iraq Desk Officer developing and implementing grant programs related to Iraq.

Ms. Kraham received a law degree and an International Business and Trade certificate from George Mason University School of Law in 1999, and is a member of the Virginia Bar Association.  She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Florida Atlantic University, where she focused her studies and research on religious and ethnic conflict in the Middle East.  She lives with her husband, Qubad J. Talabany, in Washington, D.C.