The West African nation of Benin will soon have an ambassador from the United States who has specialized in relations with Africa his entire career. Michael A. Raynor, nominated by President Obama on December 15, 2011, is currently Executive Director of the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs. If confirmed by the Senate, this would be his first ambassadorship.

 

Born circa 1963, Raynor earned a B.A. in 1984 from Lafayette College and a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service who joined in the late 1980s, Raynor’s early career foreign postings included service as general services officer at the U.S. embassy in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, and consular officer at the embassy in Luxembourg. He later served as management officer at the embassies in Djibouti City, Djibouti; Conakry, Guinea; and Windhoek, Namibia. Raynor has also served at several desk positions, including desk ffficer for Zimbabwe, and legislative management officer and special assistant in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs. From 2004 to 2008, Raynor was the management counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe. He then served as deputy executive director of the African Affairs Bureau from 2008 to 2010, and as executive director from 2010 to December 2011.

 

Raynor is married to Kathleen (McCann) Raynor, and the couple has two children.

-Matt Bewig