Mark Oviatt has left his mark on international development worldwide, contributing his expertise to USAID, the United Nations, and numerous other international development organizations. Over the last 30 years, Oviatt has worked in Latin America, the Caribbean and Middle East, enhancing vital governmental, environmental, and basic infrastructure sectors while searching out privatizations and public-private partnerships.

Educated at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he graduated Dean’s List in Political Science/International Relations, Oviatt was unable to secure work in his desired field and by accident and good fortune, he began his early career in the petroleum industry as a roughneck. Following a steady rise through the international oil and gas industry as a result of his determination, linguistic talent, and business insight, Oviatt co-founded The Lonestar Group in August 1996. Until November 2003, Mark Oviatt was a Principal with the firm, assisting clients such as Marathon Oil/Power, Brown & Root, and Morrison Knudsen in securing and managing development opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

From The Lonestar Group, Mark Oviatt moved to USAID Iraq/International Resources Group and for two yearswas the Senior Advisor for Infrastructure Reconstruction, managing more than $660 in refurbishment and rehabilitation funding. In particular, Mark Oviatt oversaw prime contractors Bechtel and Parsons on nationwide sanitation and water projects, culminating in the reconstruction of more than 40 major water and sewage treatment plants, the construction of 400 km of water pipelines, and a nationwide rural water project consisting of 77 treatment sites and over 450 delivery points, the single largest of its kind in the world.

Over the next several years, Mark Oviatt placed his expertise at the disposal of multiple organizations, including the United Nations, where he served as Country Director; RTI International, where he oversaw the expansion of programs to foster local governance, economic growth, and women’s leadership; and USAID/Jordan, where he held the post of Consulting Program Design and Development SeniorAdvisor in the Office of Water Resources and Environment.

Mark Oviatt now resides in Amman, Jordan. In addition to his active professional life, Mark Oviatt is a certified PADI Master SCUBA Diver, a licensed private pilot, and capable squash and racquetball player. An avid reader, Mark Oviatt lists classic authors like John Steinbeck, Herman Hesse, Jean-Paul Sartre, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and J. D. Salinger among his favorites.