In Memoriam
Richard Westebbe, a long time board member and Treasurer for Partners for Development (PfD), passed away in northern Virginia on April 16th 2017. Apart from serving as Treasurer for ten years, Dick was also active on PfD’s Program Committee and also helped locate and interview new board candidates. Dick and several other board members travelled at personal expense to visit PfD’s program in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2005. Dick also volunteered with other not for profit organizations in the Falls Church, Virginia area and was an active doubles player in tennis until recently.
Dick joined the PfD board after long and distinguished careers with the U.S. government, academia, and The World Bank. While with the U.S. government Dick was involved in the Marshall Plan which helped rebuild Europe after World War II. Subsequently, Dick served on the staff of the Federal Reserve Board in the International Finance Division and also taught economics as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. Thereafter, Dick was appointed as Executive Director for the Greek Government Foreign Trade Administration, during which time he coordinated post World War II foreign aid and acted as an adviser to the cabinet and to the Bank of Greece.
Dick joined the World Bank in 1966 and within a year led a major development policy mission to Mauritania. Dick was promoted to Chief Economist in the Urbanization Division, and later served as Lead Economist for West Africa. After Dick’s retirement from the Bank in 1991 he served as a consultant through the 1990s, including with the World Bank.
Dick was a recipient of the Littauer fellowship from Georgetown University and also won a Fulbright Scholarship for his research as a graduate student.
Dick was the author of several books and articles, mainly on the economic history of the Netherlands, the Greek economy, and the challenges involved in African development.