Karla Hershey, new UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia/UNDP Resident Representative presents her credentials to Tomislav Nikolic, President of the Republic of Serbia

Belgrade, 2 February 2017 – Ms. Karla Robin Hershey, new UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia/UNDP Resident Representative, presented her credentials today to Tomislav Nikolic,  President of the Republic of Serbia.

Ms. Hershey delivered two letters of appointment, the first one issued by the UN Secretary General detailing her UN Resident Coordinator’s position in Serbia and the second one by the UNDP Administrator, detailing her UNDP Resident Representative position.

After presenting her credentials, the newly appointed UN Resident Coordinator together with the President of the Republic of Serbia discussed the work of United Nations Country Team in Serbia comprising of 19 UN agencies, funds and programmes involved in advancing country’s development priorities as set by the national development plans.

About Ms. Karla Robin Hershey

Ms. Karla Hershey has a total 28 years of development and humanitarian experience and has served in four ‘Delivering as One’ UN countries to date.

Karla served as the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative and Designated Official in Maseru, Lesotho (2012-2017).  Karla was also serving with the World Food Programme as their Representative and Country Director in Swaziland (2009-2012). Other previous posts have included WFP’s Deputy Country Director and Head of Programme in Malawi (2006-2009). Karla has also undertaken the role of 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 East and Southern Africa, Johannesburg (2002-2003) and Programme Officer in Ethiopia (2000-2002).

Ms. Hershey began her UN career with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as Humanitarian Affairs Officer (OCHA) in Angola (1998-2000).

Prior to joining the UN, she served in various capacities with World Vision Relief and Development in Angola, Rotary International in Evanston, Illinois, American Employee’s Association in Rwanda and United States Peace Corps in Rwanda as a Business Advisor to the Ministry of Youth and Cooperatives (Rwanda 1989 – 1993) and the YMCA.

Ms. 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 in Texas. She also took post graduate courses at the London School of Economics and Political Science in Sociology, Middle East studies, Nationalism and Foreign Relations.