Donald Kalpokas became Vanuatu’s ambassador to the United States in November 2007. He is also Vanuatu’s permanent representative to the United Nations. Kalpokas is a graduate of Ardmore Teacher’s College in New Zealand (1967) and the University of the South Pacific in Fiji (1974). He has spent a total of 10 years as a teacher. In 1988 he became Vanuatu’s Foreign Minister. Kalpokas was Prime Minister briefly in 1991, and opposition leader from 1991 to 1995. He became Prime Minister again from 1998 to 1999. From 2000 to 2004 he was a member of parliament and State Minister. Kalpokas speaks English, Bislama, and some Efate Island dialects.