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PSC Launches International Affairs Council to Respond to Evolving Missions Overseas
The Professional Services Council (PSC) today announced the launch of its International Affairs Council (IAC), a new initiative created to support industry engaged in assistance, security cooperation, and diplomacy on behalf of the U.S. government. IAC seeks to strengthen government-industry collaboration in support of U.S. national security, economic, and humanitarian goals overseas.
The IAC, which builds upon PSC's former Council of International Development Companies (CIDC), will continue to lead PSC's engagement with the Department of State and other foreign assistance agencies on behalf of PSC member companies. The IAC will expand PSC’s focus to include security assistance, diplomatic and operational programs, and humanitarian assistance. This expanded scope will allow PSC to advocate more effectively on behalf of member companies across U.S. federal government activities around the globe. The IAC will also give PSC members a stronger, more complete voice — one that speaks to the interconnected tools that support U.S. interests overseas, including the effective, efficient use of private sector-provided solutions to advance those interests.
"Humanitarian and development assistance, security cooperation, and diplomatic engagement are not separate lines of effort — they advance the same strategic objectives and can be incredibly powerful when they are mutually reinforcing,” said Stephanie Kostro, President of PSC. “PSC’s International Affairs Council gives our association a focused, unified voice to represent our members across that full spectrum and ensure industry has a seat at the table as the U.S. government rethinks how it delivers on national security, economic, and other goals overseas."
PSC's activities during the 2023 Ukraine invasion are an example of how the association and its members – federal contractors – served a critical role in supporting U.S. agencies, partners and allies. PSC served as a direct link between the government and its member companies, and American contractors partnered with agencies across the U.S. federal government to provide critical services that helped Ukraine in sectors from agriculture and energy to social and legal services, from support to refugees and internally displaced peoples to digital and IT assistance.
"Our member companies are advancing American diplomatic and international security interests around the globe every single day," said Jim Carroll, CEO of PSC. "For example, PSC provided support to member companies to safely relocate U.S. civilian personnel during the Afghanistan drawdown. As the U.S. government rethinks how it approaches foreign involvement going forward, PSC’s IAC will be at the table, helping chart the course for the next century of U.S. leadership in the international arena so we can effectively advance U.S. national security and economic interests for the benefit of the American people." “As America charts the course for the next generation of engagement abroad, that focuses on making America safer, stronger and more prosperous, PSC’s International Affairs Council will be an important partner — bolstering U.S. foreign policy with private-sector strength and expertise," said Mike Rigas, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. “The American private sector is the most potent foreign policy tool we have and is one of the key ways the U.S. shows leadership around the globe.”
About the Professional Services Council
The Professional Services Council (PSC) is the leading trade association and advocate for the government contracting industry, representing more than 400 member companies—ranging in size from start-ups to multinational organizations. These companies support federal agencies with mission-focused services and solutions and collectively employ one million American workers throughout the United States and around the world, contributing trillions of dollars to the U.S. economy. Learn more at: www.pscouncil.org.
CONTACT: MEDIA@PSCOUNCIL.ORG