Lester Munson

At Johns Hopkins, Lester Munson is a lecturer for the MA in Government program.

Munson also serves as co-head of the International Practice at BGR Group, a leading government relations firm in Washington, D.C., where he consults with foreign governments, corporations, and advocacy groups. His work has focused on sovereign clients in the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America.

At BGR Group, Munson leads the foreign assistance practice, which provides advisory and government relations services to companies, advocacy groups, and non-governmental organizations in the international aid policy area. As a former senior USAID official and veteran of multiple congressional committees, he provides clients with unique knowledge, skills, and abilities to advance their goals.

Munson joined BGR Group in November 2015 after a 26-year career on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch of the federal government. He was most recently staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Previously, Munson was chief of staff for Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois, who became the leading Republican voice in the Senate on Iran and other national security issues.

During the Bush Administration, Munson served as deputy assistant administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development, where he focused on legislative affairs and global health issues. He led legislative efforts to develop and implement the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and won an award for his contribution to the creation of the President’s Malaria Initiative.