A member of the United States Senior Foreign Service with the Rank of Career Minister, Mr. Groarke is responsible for leading a staff of almost 1,000, including foreign service officers and other professionals from 22 U.S. government agencies, managing political, economic, health, law enforcement, military and other matters in South and Southern Africa. He is leading U.S. government efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa through $50 million in assistance. Mr. Groarke is also responsible for the U.S. Government's largest overseas HIV/AIDS program, which serves 4.3 million South Africans living with the virus.
As a senior United States Diplomat, Mr. Groarke has served in leadership roles for some of the most important events of the 21st Century, including the reconstruction of post-war Iraq, civilian counter-insurgency operations in Afghanistan, programs in Pakistan supporting regional peace and stability, political reform initiatives in the Middle East, and the reconstruction of post-earthquake Haiti. With 25 years of overseas experience, he has served in nine countries, including Bangladesh, Senegal, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Afghanistan, Haiti, Pakistan and South Africa.