Oct. 4, 2001
Sawaya Appointed Vice President
Former Federal Government Relations Consultant
Will Head Government, International, and Corporate Affairs Initiatives
The University recently appointed Richard N.
Sawaya to serve as the vice president for government, international,
and corporate affairs, a senior staff position that reports to Vice
President and Treasurer Louis H. Katz.
Sawaya assumed the new vice presidential position after serving as special
consultant to the University managing federal government relations.
Before coming to GW, the Los Angeles native represented the Atlantic
Richfield Company (ARCO). His responsibilities at ARCO included corporate,
financial, employee benefits, and philanthropic issues. After ARCO was
acquired by British Petroleum, Sawaya left to become a principal with
Research-able, Inc.
As vice president, Sawaya will be responsible for developing the long-range
strategic planning for GWs governmental, international, and corporate
affairs, cultivating relationships with these entities and furthering
new business developments. He also will advise the president, the Board
of Trustees, faculty, and staff on governmental, international, and
corporate affairs issues.
Sawaya has represented such as Chevron in Washington, with respect to
the Middle East and North Africa to further new business development.
He also serves a as director of government affairs for the American
Turkish Council, providing advocacy on behalf of 250 corporate members;
serves as executive director of the US-Venezuela Business Council, which
represents more than 80 percent of the US corporate investment in Venezuela;
and serves pro bono on the steering committee of the Foreign Policy
Roundtable.
He received his BA in English literature from Boston College and later
earned his PhD in English and American literature at Harvard University
as a Wilson and Danforth Fellow.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu