The Inter-American Development Bank today announced the appointment of George de Lama, a former managing editor of the Chicago Tribune, as External Relations Advisor.
The IDB is the leading source of long-term lending for economic, social and institutional development Latin America and the Caribbean. The Washington, D.C.-based institution is owned by 48 member countries, which include the United States.
Starting on August 3, 2009, de Lama will head the Bank’s strategic communications, congressional relations and cultural affairs office, joining IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno’s senior management team.
“I am honored by the opportunity to work with President Moreno and all the talented, dedicated professionals at the IDB to help advance the quality of life for millions of people across Latin America and the Caribbean,” said de Lama.
“At a time when this region is back in the international spotlight, facing serious challenges, the IDB’s mission to promote sustainable development and economic opportunity is more vital than ever,” he added. “It will be a privilege to contribute to the innovative efforts the IDB is pursuing on many fronts to fight against entrenched poverty and other obstacles to prosperity.”
De Lama comes to the IDB after a 30-year career at the Chicago Tribune, one of the largest and most influential newspapers in the United States. Starting as an intern, he rose through the newsroom ranks to become a reporter, national correspondent, foreign bureau chief, chief of correspondents and, ultimately, managing editor for news.
In that capacity de Lama oversaw a staff of nearly 500 journalists and the daily coverage of news. In 2008, during his tenure as managing editor, the Chicago Tribune won the Pulitzer Prize and the George Polk Award, two of the most prestigious honors in American journalism.
De Lama’s varied assignments included stints as a foreign correspondent covering Central America and South America. He played a leading role in the Tribune Company’s discussions with the Cuban government that resulted in the opening of the first U.S. newspaper bureau in Havana in 35 years.
A Chicago native and son of Cuban immigrants, de Lama is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where he serves on the Board of Advisers. He was a Nieman fellow at Harvard University and a Pulitzer Prize juror on two occasions. He will live in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Carrie, an independent filmmaker.