Washington, D.C. — The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) today announced that Eddy Acevedo has joined the organization as Vice President for Policy and Government Relations.
A longtime congressional and executive branch leader, Acevedo brings more than two decades of experience working with Congress and policymakers on bipartisan national security, foreign affairs, and democracy issues. From 2011 to 2017, he served as Senior Foreign Policy Advisor and Subcommittee Staff Director for the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, and earlier as Senior Professional Staff Member overseeing the Western Hemisphere portfolio for the House Foreign Affairs Committee under Chairman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), where he played a key role in advancing bipartisan legislation into law.
Most recently, he served as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the President and CEO of the Wilson Center, Ambassador Mark Green, where he was a principal advisor on global affairs and institutional strategy, supporting the Center’s policy priorities, programmatic initiatives, and external engagement.
“Eddy brings a rare combination of strategic and political insight, operational experience, and a deep understanding of how democratic institutions take root and endure,” said NED President and CEO Damon Wilson. “As a Nicaraguan-American with deep experience across Congress and the executive branch, he understands how democratic values advance U.S. interests, and how authoritarian regimes seek to undermine both. His leadership will strengthen NED’s ability to engage policymakers, partners, and the public.”
“Joining NED is a great honor,” said Acevedo. “Born from President Ronald Reagan’s vision of advancing freedom and democracy, NED remains a vital instrument of American leadership—a beacon of hope that supports those striving for liberty and holds tyrannical regimes accountable. NED combines speed, innovation and accountability to support democratic ideals that help make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous while also advancing American national security interests.”
“As a champion of democracy, freedom, and American values, I’m proud to join NED and help lead a policy and government relations strategy that honors its founding mission and reflects how the organization operates today—focused, results-oriented, strategic, and impact-driven.”
Across more than 20 years in government service, Acevedo has held multiple senior leadership roles at the U.S. Agency for International Development, including National Security Advisor, Acting Assistant Administrator for Legislative and Public Affairs, and Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator and Chief Legislative Strategist. In these roles, he worked closely with Congress while navigating complex national security and foreign policy matters.
Earlier in his career, Acevedo served as Federal Affairs Coordinator for Miami-Dade County’s Washington, D.C. office and worked in the personal office of Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, where he helped craft legislative strategies on domestic issues.
Acevedo has testified before Congress in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Tom Lantos Commission. He is a frequent public commentator and has written extensively on foreign policy, democracy, and authoritarianism in outlets such as the National Interest, Miami Herald, Washington Times, The Hill and National Review, and has appeared on major broadcast and digital outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Politico, and Devex.
Acevedo holds a Master’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Political Science from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama.
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About the National Endowment for Democracy
NED is a private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to advancing freedom and democracy worldwide. Established in 1983 as part of President Reagan’s vision to foster an “infrastructure of democracy” with a bipartisan Congressional mandate, NED supports grassroots leaders striving for the freedom to think, speak, worship, engage politically, and support their families without fear. It mobilizes key pillars of American democracy, from political parties to business and labor, to support their counterparts abroad through the Core institutes that form the NED family: the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, the Center for International Private Enterprise, and the Solidarity Center.
