Mary Speck

Mary Speck was a senior advisor to the Latin America Program at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), where she designed programs to prevent violence, enhance security, and promote the rule of law. Prior to joining USIP, Mary served as executive director of the Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission, an independent, bipartisan entity created by Congress to evaluate counternarcotics policies in the Americas. She also directed the International Crisis Group’s Mexico and Central America Project, conducting research on organized crime, corruption, and security sector reform. Earlier in her career, she spent more than a decade as a foreign correspondent in Latin America, covering political, economic, and security issues throughout South and Central America. Mary holds a PhD in history from Stanford University and BA from Bryn Mawr College.