Lydia J. Muniz served at the U.S. Department of State as director of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) from June 19, 2012 to January 20, 2017, the day that Donald Trump was inaugurated as president of the United States. OBO directs the worldwide overseas building program for the State Department and serves as the property manager for the government’s diplomatic properties overseas.
A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Muniz also earned a Masters degree in International Affairs from Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs, with a concentration in Economic and Political Development.
Muniz worked as office manager for Leon E. Panetta (D-California) in the House of Representatives. In 1995, she was legislative assistant in the Office of Legislative Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget and in 1996 she was special assistant for policy in the Office of the Secretary of the Army. She then served as deputy director of the Department of Media Affairs in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Muniz held several positions at New York University from 2001 to 2009. Her last job there was as associate vice president in the Office of Strategic International and Business Projects, advising the university on the development of international branch campuses. She had also been associate vice president for the Division of Campus Planning, Design and Real Estate, working on capital planning, space planning, design and real estate planning, acquisition and sales.
Prior to her appointment as director of OBO, Muniz served the Bureau as principal deputy director.
In 2007, Muniz married architect Robert Young. The couple have one daughter, Margot.
-Matt Bewig
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