Appointments and Resignations

Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: Who Is Robert Cardillo?

It didn’t take long in office for Cardillo to be forced to deal with an embarrassing incident when, on January 26, 2015, an NGA employee mistakenly flew a drone onto the White House grounds. On the other hand, shortly after Cardillo took over, the NGA created a website to share images to help track the spread of Ebola in West Africa. read more

Senegal’s Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Babacar Diagne?

In November 2012, Diagne left his position at RTS and was appointed ambassador to the Gambia, a nation almost entirely surrounded by Senegal. Much of his work involved advocating for Senegalese held in prison in that country, many of them facing death sentences. He also obtained a grant from Senegal’s government to support women’s projects in the Senegalese women’s community in the Gambia. He served there until being sent to Washington in 2014. read more

Angola’s Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Agostinho Tavares?

In 2007, Tavares was made head of the Asia and Oceania Department of Bilateral Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His first ambassadorial posting came in 2011 when he was sent to represent Angola in Ottawa, Canada. On August 24, 2014, Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos appointed Agostinho Tavares da Silva Neto to be his ambassador to the United States. read more

Comoros’ Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Soilihi Mohamed Soilihi?

Soilihi in 2006 was appointed as special delegate to Moroni city hall and the following year he became chief of staff to Comoros’ minister of finance. Soilihi moved to foreign affairs, becoming political counselor to the minister in 2009. In 2010, Soilihi took over as director general of the Office of Radio and Television for Comoros. One of his achievements was to make Comoran television available via satellite. read more

Macedonia’s Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Vasko Naumovski?

The major sticking point in Macedonia’s efforts to join the EU has been its name. Greece is opposed to the use of the name Macedonia by its northern neighbor, saying it implies territorial claims to Greece’s northern province of the same name. Naumovski worked on that issue from 2009 to 2011, surviving a 2010 vote of no-confidence by members of the opposition party who claimed he was ineffective in his negotiations. read more

Kenya’s Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Robinson Njeru Githae?

In January 2014, Githae was defeated in his bid to be elected governor of Kirinyaga County, losing in the TNA party’s primary to eventual winner Joseph Ndathi. Since taking up the Washington post, Githae has defended a controversial security law that was enacted in December, but some sections of which were suspended by Kenya’s High Court on January 2, 2015. read more

Mali’s Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Tiéna Coulibaly?

In December 2012, as Mali was about to have an election, Coulibaly was demoted to economy minister because he wouldn’t sign off on loan agreements with a Chinese bank favored by President Dioncounda Traoré. The International Monetary Fund praised Coulibaly’s stewardship, saying he was “enforcing strict spending discipline.” read more

Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Ammon Mutembwa?

Despite his government position, Mutembwa might have a lower profile in his country than his wife, Priscilla, who’s the chief financial officer of Cargill Cotton Zimbabwe. The couple has two daughters, one of whom, Mutsa, attended college on a field hockey scholarship at Indiana University and went on to win a Rhodes Scholarship in 2009. read more

Switzerland’s Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Martin Dahinden?

Dahinden was appointed to lead the Directorate of Corporate Management of the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs in 2004. Dahinden was made director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in 2008. There he managed his country’s humanitarian aid contributions around the world. He held this position until being posted to Washington. read more

Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States: Who Is Joseph Henry Smith?

Smith oversaw the purchase of military equipment from nations around the world, including Russian helicopters and ships from China and Germany. He also set up the Defence Industry Holding Company to create joint business ventures between the military and private investors, including those from abroad. read more

Chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Program: Who Is James Dinan?

Dinan has worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., since July 1989, most recently as chief of the criminal division. He specialized in gangs, organized crime and drug trafficking. read more

U.S. Ambassador to Sweden: Who Is Azita Raji?

Raji’s appointment to Stockholm initially stirred excitement in India and among the Indian-American community. Because her last name connotes royalty in Sanskrit-related languages, it was thought that she was of Indian heritage. But when it was announced that she’d been born in Tehran, Indian publications had to backtrack. Although Raji has supported Iranian-American cultural projects, she has never corrected media accounts referring to her as Indian-American. read more

Secretary of Defense: Who Is Ashton Carter?

Carter returned to the Executive Branch in 2009 as undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics. Because he had received consulting fees from defense contractor Textron (not to mention Raytheon and Goldman Sachs), he had to be issued an ethics waver to avoid Obama administration restrictions on revolving door conflicts. read more

Surgeon General of the United States: Who Is Vivek Murthy?

In January 2013, Murthy co-authored a letter (pdf) from Doctors for America to members of Congress urging action to institute gun-safety measures in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings. When his nomination for surgeon general was announced on November 13 of that year, the NRA and its allies swung into action. The organization declared that it would “score” the vote for Murthy’s confirmation and take action against those senators who supported him. read more

Chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission: Who Is Robert Taub?

Taub went to work in the office of McHugh, who was made chairman of the Postal Services Subcommittee. Taub became its staff director for three years beginning in 1998, making him the spokesman for the efforts that culminated in 2006 in the creation of the commission he now chairs. Taub was appointed to the Postal Regulatory Commission in October 2011 and was became its vice chairman on January 1, 2013. read more

Ambassador to the United States from Paraguay: Who Is Igor Pangrazio?

Pangrazio is no stranger to the U.S. He attended high school in Mission Viejo, California, competing on that school’s nationally recognized swim team. He was a high school All-American in 1985. He then attended Kansas University, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science in 1990. In 2009 he came home to become director general in the energy resources unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a post he held until he was chosen to be ambassador to the United States. read more