Paige Alexander has been appointed the new chief executive officer of The Carter Center.
A veteran of the government and nonprofit sectors, Alexander will take over June 16, following the retirement of CEO Ambassador Mary Ann Peters.
“Joining the center at this time of transition, when the founders’ vision, legacy and mission are needed more than ever, is the privilege of a lifetime,” Alexander said
Her arrival comes as the center’s namesake, 95-year-old former president Jimmy Carter, is stepping back to make way for his grandson, Jason Carter, whom he named chairman of The Carter Center’s board of trustees in March 2015.
Last September, President Carter told a group of supporters that Jason is well prepared to take over. “We haven’t worked out any specific details yet. But he and I have discussed it. We will phase out, I guess. I haven’t decided yet exactly what I am going to do this time next year when the obligation rolls around again.”
Jason Carter said at the time that his grandparents had already pulled back on their obligations, paving the way for a different style of decision making.
“They are going to be a part of the transition, and that is great,” he said. But the decision making has moved to the board and CEO. “The strategic direction of the Carter Center will always be based on his principles and values forever. We are growing into our adolescence, and that is a healthy place for the organization to be in.”
On Thursday, Jason Carter added: “Paige Alexander will carry forward the vision and values of The Carter Center’s founders, my grandparents, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. The center’s mission to alleviate suffering and advance human rights globally has never been more urgent.”
A graduate of Tulane University, since 2017 Alexander has served as executive director of the European Cooperative for Rural Development in Brussels and Amsterdam, where she worked with African nations to improve the livelihoods of families and communities through farming.
Prior to that, she twice held leadership positions at regional bureaus of the United States Agency for International Development, covering missions and development programs in 25 countries from Eurasia to the Middle East and Africa.
Between two stints at USAID, she was a senior vice president and European founder/president of IREX, an international civil society, democracy and education nonprofit.
“Paige is exceptionally well qualified to lead the center into its next chapter, and she is fully aligned with our vision for the center,” President Carter said. “We are confident that many of the center’s most significant accomplishments are yet to come.”
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