William R. Deere William R. (Bill) Deere serves as Director of the Washington, DC office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). In his position, Bill is part of the UNRWA team clarifying to North American policymakers the Agency’s mission, programs, and challenges. Deere routinely appears before various international fora including the PBS NewsHour, the BBC and ABC News discussing Palestine Refugee and UNRWA matters. He is also a part-time instructor in the Arizona State University’s master’s program in International Affairs and Leadership. 

Prior to joining UNRWA in 2018, Bill served in both the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government and as a senior executive at major business trade and membership organizations. 

Bill served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Senate Affairs at the U.S. Department of State under Colin Powell. As a member of the US Senior Executive Service, Bill’s responsibilities included day-to-day interactions between Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and the Department before the U.S. Senate including securing annual appropriations, ratification of treaties and confirmation of nominees. In the legislative branch, Deere served as an associate staff member to the House Committee on Appropriations, overseeing the advancement of appropriations priorities at the Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee. 

In the private sector, Deere developed and executed legislative, regulatory and public affairs initiatives for some of the nation’s leading membership and business associations. Bill was a senior executive at the United States Telecom Association, representing companies offering advanced broadband services, including voice, internet access, video and data, on both a fixed and mobile basis. He was also a Senior Vice President at the world's largest civil aviation organization, the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association.