A Life Unimagined: The Rewards of Mission-driven Service in the Peace Corps and Beyond

Aaron Williams has devoted his life to public service and the betterment of others. His life story reveals fascinating glimpses into the complex interactions of international development and US foreign policy but also into the American myth of anyone becoming anything through the power of hard work, determination, and drive.

The remarkable journey of this leader in international development, foreign policy, and global business began on Chicago’s South Side. He attended Catholic schools, participated in the Boys Club and Boy Scouts, and read science fiction books at the Chicago Public Library. A graduate of Chicago State University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he spent time as a public school teacher before serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic.

Finding his time there transformative, he turned his energies in this direction, joining the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and working on projects in Honduras, Haiti, and South America, among others. There, he eventually reached the rank of career minister in the Foreign Service. In 2009 he was appointed the director of the Peace Corps by President Barack Obama, serving in that role through 2012.

In his memoir, Williams shares life lessons of how success often comes from failure; that a willingness to take risks is necessary to move forward; the importance of listening to your intuition when it comes to critical professional and life decisions; and how what you think you’re looking for may not be what you ultimately find to be the most important thing in your life.

Aaron S. Williams is a Senior Advisor Emeritus for International Development and Government Relations at RTI International and former director of the Peace Corps. The recipient of numerous career service awards and honorary degrees, he lives in Virginia with his wife, Rosa. They have two sons and five grandsons.