Board of Trustees

Patricia M. Haslach

Patricia M. Haslach, a retired U.S. Ambassador, has had a distinguished career in diplomacy and international development, managing large-scale programs and fostering U.S. interests abroad. She served as the U.S. Ambassador to Laos and as the U.S. Senior Official to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, where she represented the U.S. on critical issues of regional economic cooperation.

Ambassador Haslach’s connections to Iraq are notable, having served as Assistant Chief of Mission for Assistance Transition at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad from 2009 to 2010 and as Iraq Transition Coordinator from 2011 to 2012, guiding critical post-conflict stabilization and reconstruction efforts.

She has held senior roles in the U.S. Department of State, including Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, where she championed U.S. businesses overseas and global economic sustainability. As U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia (2013–2016), she led initiatives in economic development, human rights, and humanitarian assistance, coordinating an international response to one of the region’s worst droughts.

A graduate of Gonzaga University and Columbia University, Ambassador Haslach’s career also includes leadership in conflict stabilization efforts in Syria, Kenya, and Afghanistan. She has received numerous honors, including the Benjamin Joy Award and the Superior Honor Award. Ambassador Haslach is married to Jon Wilks, the former British Ambassador to Iraq, reflecting a shared dedication to international diplomacy and development.