Laura A. Hall

International Affairs Fellow, 2009-2010

Laura A. Hall is currently the director for Near East and North Africa in the Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance at the U.S. Department of State. She was a 2009-2010 CFR IAF based at the Henry L. Stimson Center in the Budgeting for Foreign Affairs and Defense program.  Prior to that, she was the division chief for civilian response operations training and doctrine in the office of the coordinator for reconstruction and stabilization (S/CRS) at the U.S. Department of State.

Previously, she was the director for stability operations in the relief, stabilization, and development directorate at the National Security Council from March 2006 to May 2008. She was the primary official at the White House responsible for implementing the President’s initiative on creating a civilian response corps. She also assisted the G8 Sherpa, was responsible for the NSC’s engagement on the International Affairs Budget, and supported the President’s development agenda.

Laura was the director of strategy and policy in the office of the coordinator for reconstruction and stabilization (S/CRS) at the U.S. Department of State from 2004 to 2006. She was responsible for Congressional relations and for institutionalizing processes for response management and interagency coordination, including leading the drafting of National Security Presidential Directive 44 “Management of Interagency Efforts Concerning Reconstruction and Stabilization.” From 2001 to 2004, she served on the Policy Coordination Staff of the Director General of the Foreign Service and Chief Human Capital Officer. Laura has also served in the Bureau of Political Military Affairs, the Bureau of Arms Control, and in Embassy Moscow.

She received her BA from the Honors College at the University of South Carolina and MPP from the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy. She is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Top Stories on CFR

Palestinian Territories

The leading UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees is engulfed in allegations that twelve of its employees were involved in the Hamas attacks on southern Israel. The agency faces severe funding cutbacks, with huge consequences for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. 

Indonesia

Prabowo Subianto was named the winner of the Indonesian presidential election. But it is unclear which version of Prabowo—the more moderate candidate from the campaign trail or the self-styled strongman—will govern Indonesia.

Russia

The mass casualty theater attack in Moscow was a reminder that affiliates of the Islamic State have reorganized and infiltrated even powerful states.