Carol Spahn is an American executive who served as the 21st director of the Peace Corps from 2022 to 2025.
Education
Spahn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Catholic University of America and a Master of Arts in international development from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.
Career
Spahn began her involvement with the Peace Corps as a volunteer in Romania from 1994 to 1996. Following her volunteer service, she held leadership roles in the nonprofit and private sectors. She served as senior vice president of operations at Women for Women International and as executive director of the Accordia Global Health Foundation. She was also vice president, CFO, and treasurer of Small Enterprise Assistance Funds, and held executive positions at GE Capital and KPMG.
Spahn later returned to the Peace Corps as a country director in Malawi and as chief of operations for eastern and southern Africa.
Biden Administration
On January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden designated Spahn as acting director of the Peace Corps. She served in this capacity until November 16, 2021, and as CEO from November 2021 until November 2022. In April 2022, President Biden nominated Spahn to serve as director of the agency. The United States Senate confirmed her nomination by voice vote on December 13, 2022, and she was sworn in on January 11, 2023. She served as director until January 20, 2025.
Post-Government Career
After leaving the Peace Corps, Spahn joined Colorado State University as a Presidential Executive in Residence. She was also named the Rice Family Professor of the Practice of International and Public Affairs at the Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs at the University of Denver.
