Nov. 6, 2025

# 13 - Skip Waskin

Show Notes

Skip Waskin's long career at USAID involved leading some of the Agency's largest and most important missions, including Russia and Afghanistan. But these illustrious roles almost eluded him — because he almost didn't make it past his very first assignment, as an embassy intern and a beginner contractor in a country formerly known as Zaire.

Skip worked for USAID for more than three decades, including as Mission Director in Russia and Afghanistan; Deputy Mission Director in Karachi, Pakistan; and a variety of key roles in Islamabad, Mongolia, Thailand, Madagascar, Kenya, and, of course, a country formerly known as Zaire. He was also the Director of the Haiti task force team following the devastating earthquake there in 2010.

Earlier this year, Skip and his wife Oyunaa founded their own company, International Solutions LLC, which focuses on disaster preparation, special education, monitoring and evaluation, and software development. In his new role, Skip is helping to expand the company’s portfolio, particularly in areas where his background in humanitarian response and development can add value, and to design programs that are both innovative and grounded in the realities communities face. Through their company, Skip and Oyunaa are working to mobilize the skills of the many talented professionals, Americans and foreign nationals alike, that they have worked with in their decades of service.