Appointments and Resignations
Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs: Who Is Roberta Jacobson?
Roberta S. Jacobson took over as the State Department’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs on July 18, 2011. On September 27, President Barack Obama nominated her to be Assistant Secretary.
A Foreign Service officer who ... read more
Ambassador from Peru: Who Is Harold Forsyth?
Harold W. Forsyth assumed the role of Peru’s ambassador to Washington on August 3, 2011. A senior diplomat, he is also a published author and television personality.
The son of Willy Forsyth and Lucciola Mejia de Forsyth, he was born May 27, 1... read more
Ambassador to South Korea: Who is Sung Kim?
Sung Y. Kim was nominated to be the United States’ next ambassador to South Korea in June, 2011, and received his Senate confirmation in October. He was sworn in on November 3 and arrived in Seoul a week later. He is the first American of Korean d... read more
Ambassador to South Sudan: Who is Susan Page?
Susan D. Page was nominated by President Barack Obama in August to become the first U.S. ambassador to the newly created state of South Sudan, which gained its independence on July 9, 2011. She had already spent several years working on negotiatio... read more
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Who is David Danielson?
David T. Danielson, whose career has been devoted to promoting clean and renewable energies, was nominated in July to lead the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
A native of Monterey, California, Danielson... read more
Ambassador to Malta: Who Is Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley?
In the wake of the May 2011 pressured resignation of Ambassador to Malta Douglas Kmiec, the ex-Reagan administration official and George W. Bush campaign donor who crossed party line to endorse Barack Obama in 2008, the president has replaced Kmie... read more
Ambassador from Vatican City: Who Is Carlo Maria Viganò?
On October 19, 2011, Carlo Maria Viganò took over as ambassador to the United States from the city-state of Vatican City (Holy See). A Vatican financial reformer who apparently did not want the job, Viganò, who is an archbishop in the Roman Cathol... read more
Ambassador from Finland: Who Is Ritva Koukku-Ronde?
The Nordic nation of Finland, where more than 60% of the population speaks at least some English, has sent its first female ambassador to the United States. Ritva Koukku-Ronde, a former journalist with experience in global development issues, took... read more
Ambassador to Mali: Who is Mary Beth Leonard?
President Barack Obama nominated veteran diplomat Mary Beth Leonard to become the U.S. Ambassador to Mali on June 21, 2011, and she was confirmed by the Senate on October 18. Leonard had previously served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. emb... read more
Ambassador from India: Who Is Nirupama Rao?
Since August 1, 2011, the ambassador to the United States from India, the world’s second most populous nation (population: 1.14 billion) has been Nirupama Rao. A seasoned diplomat, she is the third woman to serve in the position and the second in ... read more
Ambassador from Tunisia: Who is Mohamed Salah Tekaya?
Tunisia’s Ambassador to the United States, Mohamed Salah Tekaya, presented his credentials to the State Department on October 1, 2010, and then to President Obama on December 7, 2010…only ten days before his countrymen exploded in a revolution tha... read more
Pentagon Personnel Chief, under Investigation for Abuse of Authority, Resigns
Clifford Stanley’s career at the Department of Defense has come to an end, with the ex-Marine general resigning before the completion of an investigation into charges that he was incompetent and tyrannical as well as overspent taxpayer dollars and... read more
Ambassador from Malawi: Who is Steve Matenje?
Steve Matenje became ambassador of Malawi to the United States in September 2010. He also serves as his nation’s top diplomat to Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia.
Born on February 17, 1956, in Zomba, Malawi, Matenje received a certificat... read more
Ambassador from San Marino: Who Is Paolo Rondelli?
The tiny European republic of San Marino (population: 32,000), completely surrounded by Italy, is known for having the world’s oldest functioning constitution (enacted in 1600). Long associated with the United States, in 1861 the San Marinese admi... read more
Ambassador from St. Lucia: Who is Michael Louis?
Since July 2008 the Ambassador to the United States from the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia has been historian Michael Louis, who also serves as St. Lucia’s representative to the Organization of American States (OAS).
Born in St. Lucia ... read more
Ambassador from Estonia: Who is Marina Kaljurand?
On September 9, 2011, Marina Kaljurand, the new Estonian Ambassador to the United States, presented her credentials to President Barack Obama at the White House. The first female Estonian ambassador to Washington, Kaljurand, ironically, is not eth... read more