Irvin “Irv” Hicks Jr. recently joined the Office of Security Negotiations and Agreements after serving as the Foreign Policy Advisor (POLAD) for the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa based in Djibouti. In this position, he advised the Commanding General (two-star) and his staff on foreign policy matters related to the command’s mission and activities in East Africa.
Mr. Hicks also served as Deputy Chief of Mission for U.S. Embassy Nouakchott, Mauritania. His Washington, D.C. assignments include the Office of Management Policy, Right-sizing and Innovation, and the Africa Bureau where he served as a Management Counselor rover where he supported U.S. missions in West Africa engaged in the fight against the Ebola pandemic. Prior to joining the State Department, Mr. Hicks worked for several non-government agencies that included the African American Institute, Entrepreneurs International, and the U.S.-South African Leadership Exchange Program. He was also a corporate executive for General Motors’ Africa and Middle East Operations. Additional assignments with the State Department include Guinea, Nigeria, Brazil, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Mauritius and Burundi.
Upon graduating from grade school in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and high school in Berlin, West Germany; Mr. Hicks received his undergraduate degree from George Washington University where he majored in International Affairs and African studies. Mr. Hicks also received a Masters of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a Masters of Arts degree in National Security Studies from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
Proficient in French, Mr. Hicks has also studied Portuguese, German, Arabic, Chinese and Amharic.
An avid tennis player, Mr. Hicks enjoys physical fitness as well as reading books about the African continent, American diplomacy, world history, strategy and leadership.
Djibouti was Mr. Hicks’ 44th country on the continent.
Membership
Thursday Luncheon Group – President (2020-present)
University of Denver and Aspen Institute’s International Career Advancement Program (ICAP) Alumni