Adam Blackwell

Is the Vice President International at the Development Services Group, building high-value networks to help professionals develop capacity, forge new partnerships and effect meaningful policy change. He is leading the project to support the Department of State in its efforts to document, analyze and coordinate a response to the global challenge of terrorism. Adam Blackwell began his diplomatic career in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, and Kenya. He served in a variety of assignments, at headquarters and in the field, including as Consul-General in Mexico and at the Mission to the United Nations in New York. In 2000 he completed the Executive Development Program at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. He then served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Dominican Republic from 2002-05 and Director-General of Strategy and Services in the Bilateral Relations Branch of Foreign Affairs and International Trade from 2005-06.

Ambassador Blackwell continued his international career at the Organization of American States at their headquarters in Washington, DC. Starting as Assistant Secretary of Finance and Administration (Treasurer) in 2006, Mr. Blackwell was then Secretary for External Relations in 2008 and Secretary for Multidimensional Security from October 2009 to December 2015. Mr. Blackwell has participated in and led several election observation and good office missions as well as received numerous awards and honors. Most notable of these are The Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez, and Mella Grand Cross with Silver Breast Star, of the Dominican Republic and the Ministers Award for Management (1995). He also was a contributor and the key coordinator of the 2013 OAS Drug Report. A report that challenged the status quo in dealing with the drug problem in the Americas. He was also instrumental in helping to investigate and establish anti-corruption mechanisms across the region.

Adam Blackwell served as a Diplomat in Residence at the William J. Perry Center for the Hemispheric Defense Studies (NDU).

He served as the Chair of the Meta-Council on the Illicit Economy for the World Economic Forum (WEF), a member of the Board of the Trust of the Americas, a member of the Commission to Reform Public Security in Honduras and a member of the Technical Coordinating Committee to manage the Peace Process in El Salvador. Ambassador Blackwell is also an active participant and presenter in international fora such as Davos, Chatham House, the Ditchley Foundation, Brookings Institution, the Wilson Center.

Has published extensively and most recently the books.