Her early assignments included posts in the Czech Republic and Denmark. She returned to Washington in 2002 as Director for South and Central Asian Affairs on the National Security Council staff. She moved again to South Asia two years later as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Kathmandu, Nepal. Her tour there coincided with the last part of the Maoist battle against the Nepalese government that ended in 2006 and left more than 13,000 dead.   read more

In 2000, Macrae became Associate Administrator for the Office of Performance Review in HRSA, overseeing agency staff around the country. He returned to the Bureau of Primary Care in 2006, this time as its leader, managing a $5 billion budget that supports the health-care safety net for millions of people. He also oversaw the School-Based Health Center Capital Program, which provides funding for equipment for school-based health centers.   read more

Hankins joined the Foreign Service, with his first overseas posting coming as a vice consul in Recife, Brazil, in 1985. Thailand was another early posting. From 1989 to 1991, Hankins worked in Sudan and by 1992 he was consul in Haiti. There he dealt with boat people who had been returned to that country by order of President George H.W. Bush. As consul, he took requests for asylum from those wanting to leave the then-violent country. Few requests were granted.   read more

Jones has served in a variety of assignments in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. In 2010, Jones assumed his first ambassadorial post, as the U.S. envoy to Malaysia. While there, he focused on educational projects; getting Malaysian students chances for advanced study; and promoting exchanges for American students in that country. An avid tennis player and fan since childhood, Jones participated in a celebrity tennis tournament in Malaysia, which benefited local charities.   read more

Furuta-Toy was sent to Africa in 2009 as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Accra, Ghana. In 2012, she assumed a similar role in Oslo, Norway. Furuta-Toy ended up heading the mission there for almost two years because of the Obama administration’s inept handling of the nomination of George Tsunis, a bundler for Obama’s election campaigns, to be the ambassador to Norway. Tsunis eventually withdrew from consideration after a botched performance at his confirmation hearing.   read more

Nolan was sent to Ireland as chief of the political/economic section in the embassy in Dublin in 1998. In 2002, he was made Deputy Chief of Mission in Nicosia, Cyprus. He was in charge of the embassy when the State Department issued a negative report on Cyprus’ human rights record. Nolan was forced to bear the brunt of the Cypriot government’s anger at the report. Nolan went overseas again in 2010 as Deputy Chief of Mission, and for a time Chargé d’Affaires, at the U.S. Embassy in The Hague.   read more

Much of Jacobson’s work has involved negotiations with Cuba leading up to the normalization of diplomatic relations. Her success in those efforts could pose a problem when her nomination comes up for a vote. Marco Rubio opposed her nomination as Assistant Secretary and held it up for several months. Rubio is now running for president and that, along with Republican delay tactics used on most Obama nominees, might mean Jacobson will be waiting a while to board a flight for Mexico City.   read more

One of Hill’s biggest assignments began in 2007 when she was appointed political/economic officer in the U.S. consulate in Vancouver, Canada. There she prepared for the run-up to the 2010 Winter Olympics in British Columbia, including securing more space for the many temporary Foreign Service officers assigned there during the Games. At the Bureaus of European Affairs and International Organizations, she planned 60 overseas trips for Secretary of State John Kerry.   read more

King has said his idea of an ideal school is one with a rigorous curriculum, excellent teachers, a longer school day and a longer school year. He also wants a focus on data to give teachers a picture of how their students are performing. Since Republicans had dragged their feet in approving even the most routine nominations until recently, Obama sidestepped the process when he could. After Duncan steps down at the end of the year, King will serve as secretary in an acting role.   read more

In 2007, she was made Consul General in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Part of her duties there involved dealing with American victims of the drug war that raged in the border region. While serving in the State Dept, Dogu has also put her business acumen to good use. She became a frequent poster on the personal financial planning forum Bogleheads.org and co-authored a book, The Bogleheads’ Guide to Retirement Planning. In 2012, Money magazine named her a champion of small investors.   read more

Dominguez has had extensive government service in Democratic administrations There has been concern among some that is unqualified for the position as she has little experience dealing with pipeline issues — she is basically an unknown in the industry. Her backers counter that she’s a good administrator and has good connections to the White House, which will help in implementing regulations aimed at keeping America’s pipelines from rupturing and trains carrying crude oil from derailing.   read more

It’s believed that Heins might be a more acceptable choice as ambassador to Norway than Long Islander and hotelier Tsunis, who was criticized for his seeming ignorance of the kingdom, raising the possibility that he might even damage U.S. relations with the country. Heins’ connection to Minnesota helps because the state has the largest population of Norwegians outside Norway. He has been a major contributor and bundler to President Obama’s election campaigns.   read more

Lt. Gen. Robert Neller officially took over the post of commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps on Sept. 24 when Gen. Dunford vacated the position. Secretary of Defense Carter nominated Neller for the commandant post on July 2, 2015, over several other higher-ranked officers. However, Neller and Carter were known to have had a good relationship since Neller’s stint on the Joint Staff. Neller is said to be attentive to the needs of the average Marine.   read more

In 2014, Rubinstein was made the U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, dealing with the opposition to the Assad regime. He replaced Robert Ford, who had taken a harsh approach toward Assad. Rubinstein’s approach with the insurgents was slightly different. Anti-ISIS forces sought his support for battling the extremist group before it took over Mosul. Rubinstein turned them away. Rebel officials started referring to Rubinstein as “the complaint box,” saying he listens to all and never responds.   read more

Unlike many Foreign Service officers, Alsup did not go immediately to work for the State Department after college. She worked for the aerospace division of Ling-Temco-Vought, and she opened a franchised art store in her hometown of St. Petersburg. Alsup went overseas in 2005 for her first assignment to The Gambia. Since 2012, she has served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Accra, Ghana.   read more

Scott’s early State Dept. postings included Croatia, Israel, and Switzerland. He stepped away from the diplomatic world for a bit in 1994 as a national security fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford. When he returned to active duty with the Foreign Service in 1996, it was as a political counselor at the embassy in Moscow. In 1999, Scott was moved to a similar role at the embassy in Budapest, Hungary.   read more