Mary Beth Leonard
Mary Beth Leonard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Ambassador to the African Union | |
| Assumed office July 5, 2016 | |
| President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Reuben E. Brigety II |
| United States Ambassador to Mali | |
| In office 2011–2014 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Gillian Milovanovic |
| Succeeded by | Paul Folmsbee |
Mary Beth Leonard is the United States Representative to the African Union, appointed by Barack Obama on July 5, 2016. Previously she served as the United States Ambassador to Mali from 2011 to 2014.
Early life and education
Ambassador Leonard, a native of Massachusetts and graduate of Doherty Memorial High School[1][2][3] in Worcester, graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. from Boston University, with a major in economics and a minor in French. In 1988, she earned a master’s degree in international relations, with an emphasis on African studies, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. In 2004, she received a Master’s of Security and Strategic studies the U.S. Naval War College, with distinction.
She speaks French, Spanish, Afrikaans, and Dutch.
Career
After joining the State Department in 1988, Ambassador Leonard served overseas as an economic and consular officer in Yaoundé, Cameroon; Windhoek, Namibia; and Lomé, Togo. She also worked in the Department’s Operations Center and in its Office of Central African Affairs. She then served as political and economic officer in Cape Town, South Africa and thereafter as Deputy Chief of Mission in Paramaribo, Suriname.
Ambassador Leonard was the Director for West African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 2009-2011, and Deputy Chief of Mission in Bamako, Mali from 2006-2009.
She was the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Mali from 2011-2014. Her service in Mali was recognized with the Department’s Diplomacy for Human Rights Award in 2013, an honor that annually recognizes a U.S. Chief of Mission who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to defending human rights and advancing democratic principles in his or her host country.
Afterwards, she served as the State Department’s Senior Faculty Advisor at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, following a year as the Department’s Diplomat in Residence for New England, based at Tufts University.
Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard was appointed by President Obama as the Representative of the United States of America to the African Union, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, on July 5, 2016. She serves as U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
References
- ^ Cristantiello, Ross. "Doherty High alum gets new diplomatic post." Telegram & Gazette, Aug 4 2016.
- ^ Nugent, Karen. "Doherty grad plays role for US in Africa." Telegram & Gazette, Mar 21 2011.
- ^ Murray, Thomas V. (November 10, 2014). "United States Ambassador to Visit Worcester Public Schools" (Press release). Worcester Educational Development Foundation.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: 2016 Biography, United States Department of State