Steven E. Hendrix ’87 has seen the world — and made an impact on it.
Recently named a Wisconsin assistant state public defender, he is a former career diplomat who had a knack for assessing difficult global problems and aiding in solutions through a strong understanding of a team approach. Wherever it took him, he reminded himself it was about the people in need, not the accomplishment.
“I had a chance to go to my share of places in the world, but, most importantly, it was about trying to make a difference,” he said. Serving in USAID from 1997 to 2024, Hendrix worked many roles; he relishes the experiences.
In his role as senior advisor at USAID from 2020-22, Hendrix oversaw more than $300 million a year to help Venezuelan refugees and migrants.
“My heart goes out to them because leaving a despotic country where the economy has collapsed, where do they go?” he posed. “Most of them went to Colombia and neighboring countries, and multiple U.S. presidential administrations supported to help those countries integrate them.”
The first way of help from USAID was typically emergency assistance in the form of food and shelter, he explained. This was followed by transitioning the refugees and migrants into real jobs. Hendrix witnessed the impact of this process firsthand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had a chance to go to my share of places in the world, but, most importantly, it was about trying to make a difference.” – Steven E. Hendrix ’87
“One of the many things I enjoyed being a part of in Peru was getting qualifications for Venezuelan medical doctors, nurses and dentists and other medical professionals who went out and treated the pandemic before a vaccine,” he said. “You had Venezuelans at the front lines of health responses in Peru and Ecuador, giving it everything they had.”
Previously, as deputy mission director in Ghana, he helped with literacy issues.
Partnering on key strategies, such as having instruction begin in local languages and then transition to English (instead of the teaching beginning in English), the literacy rate rose from 2% to 28%, he noted.
Hendrix went on to become senior coordinator for the State Department Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance, the highest-ranking USAID official at the Department.
“I oversaw about $53 billion a year that we managed around 23 government agencies,” he said. “The State Department needed me to head plans and programs and systems, strategizing for the Department worldwide. This included all the auditing, tracking and performance measurement worldwide across about 180 embassies.”
Hendrix is proud to take on his new role of Wisconsin assistant state public defender, just as he is proud to be a University of Wisconsin Law School graduate.
“The Law School had a huge effect on my writing and research skills, and that comes in handy for the rest of your career,” he said. “The critical thinking skills you are taught are vital. I found that combination with the Spanish program to be so helpful, especially for my time in South America. I’ve had an interesting career, and the Law School provided an important base.”
By Eric Butterman