Great Decisions Topic: Latin American Politics

Speaker Date: February 17, 2023

The intersection of politics and trade and investment, with Mexico serving as a conspicuous example.

On-Demand Streaming Video

Dan Crocker
Director of the Dean Rusk International Studies Program for Davidson College

BIOGRAPHY

Dan Crocker

joined Davidson College as the Director of the Dean Rusk International Studies Program after a varied and colorful career in both the public and private sectors, much of it spent outside the U.S. In his new role he is responsible for increasing awareness of other cultures and of the social, economic, political, and scientific forces that shape our world.

His Foreign Service career at the U.S. Department of Commerce culminated in an assignment as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasia. In that role, he led a team of 270 officials in the U.S. and in 28 countries promoting national economic security by increasing U.S. exports, removing market barriers for U.S. companies, and expanding inward investment.

Other assignments included Executive Director for the Western Hemisphere and diplomatic postings in Spain, Panama, Brazil, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. He also led a team that implemented a  technology platform for Commerce in 76 countries and successfully convinced Congress to increase funding for a strong diplomatic corps to advance U.S. economic security interests.

Mr. Crocker’s areas of expertise include Latin American Politics, European Politics, Global Trade and Investment Policy, and others. He has three master’s degrees from MIT an M.B.A. and an M.S. in Leaders for Global Operations, and an M.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering, and M.A. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia, and a B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Princeton.