Harriet C. Babbitt Member

Ms. Babbitt practices in our Washington, DC office, assisting clients on issues of public policy and strategy, especially with regard to their international operations. She is an accomplished attorney with a distinguished background in both private and public service. Over the course of her career she has provided counsel to diverse interests at the intersection of law, policy, and public interest.

Ms. Babbitt served as U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States from 1993 to 1997. While in that role she led the U.S. negotiating effort to completion of the world's first anti-corruption convention and helped strengthen the Inter-American Human Rights Commission.

Ms. Babbitt has served as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. As the second most senior official overseeing the U.S. foreign assistance program, she oversaw programs in the fields of democratization, rule-of-law, humanitarian relief, women's empowerment, economic growth, education, health, and the environment. Her responsibilities included oversight of USAID efforts to assist post-conflict reconstruction in the Balkans and East Timor.

Ms. Babbitt also served as a Senior Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and spent almost 20 years as a litigation attorney in Arizona.

Education

• J.D., Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Political Science, 1972
  With Distinction
  Recipient of John S. Lancy Distinguished Law Journal Alumna Award, 2004
• B.A., Arizona State University, Spanish, 1969
  With Honors

Professional Affiliations

• World Resources Institute (WRI)
  Vice Chair, 2006-present
  
• Global Water Challenge (GWC)
  Vice Chair, 2007-present
  
• The Water Institute (TWI)
  Board of Advisors, 2007-present
  
• Council on Foreign Relations
  Member, 1997-present
  
• American Bar Association-Latin America and Caribbean Law Initiative
  Executive Chairman, 2007-present
  
• North American Center for Transborder Studies
  Board of Advisors, 2007-present
  
• U.S. - Mexico Bar Association
  Board of Advisors, 2007-present
  
• American Bar Association–Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (ABA-CEELI)
  Vice Chair Executive Board, 2001-2007
  
• National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
  Board of Directors, 1988-1993, 2001-present
  Middle East and Latin America Committees
  
• North American Center for Transborder Studies (NATCS) at Arizona State University
  Board of Advisors, 2006-Present
  
• Population Action International (PAI)
  Board of Directors, 2002-present
  
• Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University
  Board of Directors, 2004-present
  
• The President’s Management Council (PMC)
  Member, 1998-2001
  
• Baltic-American Partnership Fund
  Founding Member, Ex Officio
  Board of Directors, 1998-2001
  
• Inter-American Foundation
  Board of Directors, 1994-1999
  
• Alan Guttmacher Institute
  Board of Directors, 1991-1993
  
• Citibank (Arizona)
  Board of Directors, 1986-1993
  
• International Women’s Forum
  Member, 1984-present
  
• The Arizona Chapter of the International Women’s Forum
  Founding Member, 1984-1993
  President, 1989
  
• Planned Parenthood of Central and Northern Arizona
  Board of Sponsors, 1978-1993
  Recipient of the Golden Anniversary Honor Roll Award
  
• Babbitt Brothers Trading Company
  Board of Directors, 1985-1990
  
• Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
  Member, 1985-1989
  
• Great Western Bank (Arizona)
  Board of Directors, 1981-1986
  
• Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)
  Finance/Fundraising Committee, Co-Chair, 1983-1984
  Board of Directors, 1981-1985
  
• American Bar Association
  Dispute Resolution Section, Member
  International Law Section, Member
  

Professional Background

• Hunt Alternatives Fund, Washington, D.C., Senior Vice President, 2002-2006
• The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, D.C., Senior Public Policy Scholar, 2001
  
• United States Agency For International Development (USAID), Washington, D.C., Deputy Administrator, 1997-2001
• Department of State, Washington, D.C. United States Permanent Representative (Ambassador) to the Organization of American States (OAS), 1993-1997
• Robbins & Green, P.A., Partner, 1973-2001

Presentations

• Panelist, "Mexico-U.S. Border Issues: An Update," National Association of Attorneys General, 2009 Summer Meeting (June 2009)

• Presenter, "New Legal Developments of Doing Business with Mexico, "The International Law Section/Inter-American Legal Affairs Committee, In co-sponsorship with the United States-Mexico Bar Association (2008)

• Speaker, "U.S. Policy Towards Mexico: Opportunities and Challenges," Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (2008)

• Presenter, Aspen Institute Ideas Festival, "The World Economy: What is Sustainable Development?" and "Global Dynamics: Water, The New Currency?" (July 2006)

• Co-Chair, Aspen Institute and Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions (Duke University), Task Force on Clean Water and Sanitation, preparing for the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico (2005-2006)

• Moderator, American Bar Association International Rule of Law Symposium, Rule of Law and Global Poverty panel (November 2005)

• Presider, Council on Foreign Relations, Iraq and Afghanistan Prospects and Challenges for Reconstruction meeting (November 2005)

• Presenter, The New America Foundation, "Beyond Bullets: Economic Strategies in the Fight Against Terrorism" (September 2005)

• Panelist, International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security, "From Conflict to Peace: Lessons Learned from the Frontline" (March 2005)

• Participant, Brookings Institution, Conference on America's Role in the Fight Against Global Poverty (July 2004)

• Presenter, Aspen Institute Biodiversity Policy Forum, Multilateral and Bilateral Lending and Assistance Policies (April 2004)

• Roundtable Participant, Council on Foreign Relations, Africa Policy Studies Roundtables: "Strengthening Governance: The Role of Women in Rwanda's Transition, Overview," September, 2003 and "From Combat to Community: Women and Girls of Sierra Leone, Overview" (February 2004)

• Moderator, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Program on "Wilson's Ghost: Reducing the Risk of Conflict, Killing and Catastrophe in the 21st Century" (June 2001)

• Roundtable Participant, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Project on the Information Revolution and World Politics (December 2000)

• Presenter, Aspen Institute 50th Anniversary Symposium, Globalization and the Human Condition (August 2000)

• Roundtable Participant, Aspen Institute Roundtable on "Alleviating Global Poverty: Technology for Economic and Social Uplift" (August 2000)

• Discussion Leader, Intellibridge Global Scenarios Series on Emerging Markets, Emerging Technologies (June 2000)

• Moderator, Harvard University Academy for International and Area Studies Symposium on Cultural Values and Human Process (April 1999)

• American Public Power Association Cable Committee Workshop (1993)

Other Languages

• Spanish (Fluent)