Dianna Darsney de Salcedo

Dianna Darsney serves as the Director of Global Initiatives at the Global Food Institute, where she advances food systems research, programs, and strategic partnerships in the global arena to address the needs of marginalized and disadvantaged populations worldwide.

Dianna joins GFI following two decades at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she worked across the entire food security continuum—from emergency response to market-driven food systems and biofortification. Most recently, she served as Assistant Administrator for USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, overseeing a 1,000-person global team and a $10 billion portfolio reaching 85 million people across 57 countries.

Before joining USAID, Dianna worked with Conservation International in Guyana, FINCA International in Nicaragua, and advised Fortune 100 companies on agricultural trade policy in Washington, D.C. She holds a B.A. in Economics and International Relations from Tufts University and an M.A. in International Development Studies from the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University.