Karla Hershey holds an M.B.A in Management from the American InterContinental University and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the Southern Methodist University, Texas. She also completed post-graduate courses at the London School of Economics and Political Science in Sociology, Middle East studies, Nationalism and Foreign Relations.
Prior to joining the UN, she served in various capacities with World Vision Relief and Development in Angola, Rotary International in Evanston, Illinois, the American Employee’s Association in Rwanda and the U.S. Peace Corps in Rwanda.
Hershey began her UN career with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as Humanitarian Affairs Officer (OCHA) in Angola (1998-2000).
She served as the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative and Designated Official in Maseru, Lesotho (2012-2017), in addition to serving the World Food Programme as Representative and Country Director in Swaziland (2009-2012). Other posts have included WFP’s Deputy Country Director and Head of Programme in Malawi (2006-2009), WFP Country Director a.i. in Syria (2007) and the Head of Resource Mobilization, Food Procurement, Pipeline Management, Public Information and Sub-Office Focal Point in Tanzania (2003-2006). She also served as WFP Regional Affairs Officer, Bureau for Eastern and Southern Africa, in Johannesburg (2002-2003) and as Programme Officer in Ethiopia (2000-2002).
