Avram E. “Buzz” Guroff

Senior Managing Director, Food Security & Specialty Crops Portfolio

Senior Vice President of the Food Security & Specialty Crops Portfolio Team, Avram E. “Buzz” Guroff manages a $23.8 million portfolio and oversees ACDI/VOCA projects in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Former National Food Security Coordinator and Secretary for the U.S. delegation to the World Food Summit, Mr. Guroff joined ACDI/VOCA in 1998. While at the USDA, Mr. Guroff coordinated U.S. participation in the World Food Summit, working with government as well as nongovernmental organizations, the private sector and foundations. He also organized national forums and teleconferences to ensure broad-based participation. In addition, he has represented the U.S. at numerous international meetings, including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Committee on World Food Security. Previously, Mr. Guroff served as assistant administrator of USDA’s Office of International Cooperation and Development, managing scientific exchanges, directing business missions to promote joint ventures and trade, and developing conferences and workshops on marketing and business development. Mr. Guroff also worked in the international development office at Tenneco, Inc., as part of a government-industry executive exchange program. Before that, he served at the American Embassy in Rome as an attaché in the U.S. Mission for Food and Agricultural Affairs. He held various budget and economics positions at the USDA and served as an economist for USAID in Vietnam. Mr. Guroff earned an M.B.A. in international business at Stanford University, an M.S. in foreign service/international economics at Georgetown University and B.A. in American history at Northwestern University. Mr. Guroff attended the Harvard agribusiness executive seminar, as well as other executive education training programs. He has received several awards for meritorious government service.