Appointments and Resignations
Ambassador from Burkina Faso: Who is Paramanga Ernest Yonli?
The ambassador to the United States from the West African country of Burkina Faso is a former Prime Minister of the country who holds a doctorate in economics.
Paramanga Ernest Yonli was born on December 31, 1956, in Tansarga, Tapoa Provinc... read more
Ambassador from Tonga: Who Is Sonatane Tu’akinamolahi Taumoepeau-Tupou?
The ambassador to the United States from the Polynesian island nation of Tonga is career diplomat Sonatane Tu’akinamolahi Taumoepeau-Tupou, whom King Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Manumataongo Tukuʻaho Tupou V (aka King George Tupou V) appointed to the post... read more
Chair of the United States Access Board: Who Is Nancy Starnes?
The U.S. Access Board (USAB), an independent Federal agency that works to assure enforced accessibility for people with disabilities and is also a key resource of information on accessible design, is chaired this year by a pioneer disability right... read more
Ambassador from Barbados: Who is John Beale?
Banking executive John E. Beale was appointed ambassador of Barbados to the United States on January 29, 2009. Eleven days later he also presented his credentials as Barbados’ representative to the Permanent Council of the Organization of Americ... read more
Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights: Who Is Marty Castro?
In January 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Martin R. Castro as Chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR), and on March 11 he was approved by the Commission. The USCCR is an independent federal agency that addresses civil rig... read more
Ambassador from Moldova: Who is Igor Munteanu?
Igor Munteanu, a political analyst and journalist, has served as Moldova’s ambassador to the United States since August 2010. He has also served as ambassador to Canada since February 2011.
Born August 10, 1965, in Costuleni, Ungheni, Muntea... read more
Ambassador to Sweden: Who is Mark Brzezinski?
Attorney and lobbyist Mark Brzezinski was nominated on September 6, 2011, by President Barack Obama to be the next U.S. ambassador to Sweden, replacing Matthew Barzun, who was one of Obama’s biggest campaign bundlers during the 2008 presidential c... read more
Ambassador to Honduras: Who is Lisa Kubiske?
Career diplomat Lisa J. Kubiske received her first chance to become an ambassador on July 26, 2011, when she was sworn in as ambassador to Honduras.
Born Lisa Shapiro, Kubiske attended college at Brandeis University, where during her junior ... read more
Ambassador from Ghana: Who Is Daniel Ohene Agyekum?
Daniel Ohene Agyekum, a political insider who is no stranger to controversy, has been the ambassador to the United States from Ghana since October 19, 2009.
Born March 10, 1942, at Juaso in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, which was then a Brit... read more
Commandant of Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC): Who is Glenn Huber, Jr.?
Colonel Glenn R. Huber Jr. has served as commandant of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) at Fort Benning, Georgia, since July 29, 2010. He last served with WHINSEC in 2001, when he was a department director and ... read more
Ambassador from Lesotho: Who is David Mohlomi Rantekoa?
David Mohlomi Rantekoa has served as ambassador of Lesotho to the United States since May 21, 2008. Lesotho, a nation of 2 million people, is completely surrounded by South Africa.
Born May 2, 1953, Rantekoa graduated from the National Unive... read more
Navy Breaks Record for Firing Commanders
As expected, the U.S. Navy set a record in 2011 by firing more commanders in a single year than ever before.
Naval leaders on September 7 relieved Commander Mark Olson of his command of the USS The Sullivans, making him the 18th skipper boot... read more
Senate Republicans Continue to Block ATF Director Nominee
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been criticized recently because of its Fast and Furious” tracking program that allowed guns to fall into the hands of drug cartels, leading to the murder of Border Patrol Agent B... read more
Ambassador from the Maldives: Who Is Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed?
Since February 24, 2010, Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, a career diplomat, has served as the ambassador to the United States from the Maldives (population 315,000), an extremely low-lying island chain in the Indian Ocean threatened with extinction by ri... read more
Ambassador from Austria: Who Is Christian Prosl?
Christian Prosl has served as Ambassador of Austria to the United States in Washington, D.C., since May 2009.
Born August 21, 1946, in Eisenstadt, Austria, Prosl grew up in Vienna and earned undergraduate degrees at the University of Vienna... read more
Ambassador to Paraguay: Who is James Thessin?
In choosing James H. Thessin as ambassador to Paraguay, President Barack Obama selected a career member of the Senior Executive Service who, previously, had never served overseas in almost 30 years with the State Department. Thessin was nominate... read more