David Holdridge is the author of the memoir, “The Avant Garde of Western Civ.” He spent 35 years working with humanitarian organizations amidst populations suffering from war, exploitation and impoverishment, including assignments in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the United States. From 2005-09, he was regional director for Mercy Corps’ Middle East programs. During those years, Holdridge and his team were among the few American civilians in Iraq to live outside the Green Zone. From 2010 to 2012, he directed an advocacy effort in Washington, DC, that argued for significant transformation of the current systems and approaches of American assistance abroad. He received the Prize Americana in 2015 for his memoir. He also served as the Vietnam director for Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation in Hanoi, and as regional director for the Balkans and Middle East of Catholic Relief Services, among other development-related positions. He was wounded in Vietnam while serving as a platoon commander.