A top-ranking D.C. health official will now head Africare, the nation’s oldest and largest African-American-founded organization that works to improve the quality of life of the people in Africa, officials for the D.C.-based organization announced this week.
Robert Mallett, president and CEO of Accordia Global Health Foundation, will become the fourth president in Africare’s 45-year history after an extensive five-month search for a new president by members of the Africare board of directors and its senior leadership team.
“I am looking forward to working alongside the Board, professional staff and supporters of Africare, all of whom, with other great leaders of Africare, have invested in Africa’s future for nearly half a century,” said Mallett, a Morehouse College graduate who received a law degree from Harvard University. “I am excited about the opportunity to ensure the organization sustains its important work for the next generation of African children and leadership.”
He will be responsible for developing a strategic vision for Africare, as well as articulating the organization’s philosophy, improving its management structure and bolstering its technical capabilities.
“We are confident Robert is the right leader at the right time for Africare,” said Stephen Cashin, Africare board chair. “At this time of fierce competition for resources, Africare requires a leader who can clearly communicate and demonstrate the organization’s leadership and knowledge of Africa’s complex issues to partners and donors in both the public and private sectors. We believe Robert is uniquely qualified for this challenge.”
