A former top MSU official is helping lead the Pentagon's reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

Charles Greenleaf, who left the university on Feb. 7, is part of the team working on the challenges of post-war reconstruction, said Jeff Riedinger, executive director of MSU's Office of International Development.

Greenleaf joins MSU President M. Peter McPherson in the U.S. team to redevelop the war-torn nation. McPherson is expected to take a temporary leave from MSU to become the U.S. treasurer of Iraq.

The two men worked together from 1982 to 1987 at the Agency for International Development, where McPherson was administrator and Greenleaf was assistant administrator.

The agency monitors all U.S. foreign aid.

A phone call to the Pentagon was not immediately returned. Greenleaf, a resident of Lakeside in Berrien County, could not be reached for comment.

Greenleaf had been vice president for university projects since 1995, working on MSU's study abroad program, South African development programs and other projects for the university president and provost.

He also has an extensive background in international development and government policy.

Greenleaf was the founding president of the Eurasia Foundation, which provides support for economic and political reform in the former Soviet Union. During the 1980s he was an assistant and deputy chief of staff to Vice President George Bush. During his time at USAID, Greenleaf's work focused on Asia and the Middle East.

It's unknown exactly what Greenleaf's duties entail.

"He certainly knows the Middle East well and has a lot of experiences with the challenges of economic development in the region," Riedinger said.

For more on this story, read Monday's edition of The State News.