As Co-Chair of the Basic Education Coalition (BEC), Jerrold Keilson represents a diverse group of 25 leading organizations and academic institutions working together to promote global peace and prosperity through education. BEC seeks to apply the best of U.S. knowledge and strategy in support of the education development goals of the United States Government. BEC members are dedicated partners of USAID with deep technical expertise in virtually every country in the developing world and they know that quality education provides students a path towards prosperous and peaceful lives. Keilson is also Vice President, International Programs, Policy & Systems Change, at American Institutes for Research (AIR). He has more than 35 years of experience working in international development. Most recently he was Vice President, Education at Creative Associates, and prior to that was Vice President, Business Development. He held senior positions at the International Youth Foundation, America’s Development Foundation, and World Learning, with a focus on project management, new business development, and exchange and training. For a number of years he worked for a U.S.-based international exchange and public diplomacy organization.
Keilson began his international career with the State Department as a foreign service officer. His posts included Tijuana, Mexico; Melbourne, Australia; and Nouakchott, Mauritania. He has written on public and cultural diplomacy, and has been an adjunct professor in American University’s School of Public Affairs for more than a decade, where he has taught courses on international organizations and development management.
Keilson recently co-edited a book, “The Practice of International Development” containing essays from practitioners on what works in development.
