Akunna Cook
Akunna Cook is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs in the US Department of State. In this role, she manages the development of the State’s foreign policy for Southern Africa, as well as economic and regional issues such as trade, investment, climate, health, multilateral engagement, democracy, and human rights.
An established diplomat and policy advocate, Akunna Cook previously founded and served as a principal consultant at Drake Road Strategies from September 2019 to March 2021. In this role, she advised individuals and organizations on public policy strategy and advocacy. She was also a founding executive director of the Black Economic Alliance from March 2018 to August 2019. Black Economic Alliance is a non-partisan organization focused on driving economic progress in the black community through policy development, advocacy, and supporting candidates for office.
Akunna Cook’s career spans over 20 years, first as a Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow. She later served for about ten years as a career diplomat with the State Department where she focused on economic and political development. Some of her foreign service assignments included working in China, South Africa, Iraq, and several years in Washington serving in various roles at the Africa Bureau.
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The Abia State indigene practised law at several international law firms including Covington and Burling LLP and BlackIvy Group LLC, where she advised an attorney on political and legal strategies related to redistricting around the country. She also advised a variety of clients on public policy, government affairs, and corporate governance.
Akunna Cook received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Business Administration from Howard University, Masters in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School and a Doctor of Law from the Yale Law School.
A policy advocate, Akunna Cook is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the Washington, D.C. bar, a member of the Alliance for Justice Board of Directors and was a Legal Fellow of Judiciary Committee at the District of Columbia, Washington. She is on LinkedIn as Akunna Cook