Melanie Harris Higgins

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Melanie Harris Higgins
Melanie Harris Higgins official photo.jpg
United States Ambassador to Burundi
Assumed office
March 2, 2021
Nominated byDonald Trump
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byAnne Casper
Eunice Reddick
(Chargé d’Affaires)
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
EducationJohns Hopkins University (BA)
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (MA)

Melanie Harris Higgins is an American official and diplomat who has served as the United States Ambassador to Burundi since March 2, 2021.

Education[]

Higgins earned a Bachelor of Arts from Johns Hopkins University and an Master of Arts from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.[1]

Career[]

Higgins is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Counselor. During her two decades of service, Higgins served as the Acting Director and Acting Public Affairs Advisor for the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. She also held a number of other positions at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Jakarta, Indonesia, Canberra, Australia, and Yaounde, Cameroon. She has served as the Principal Officer of the United States Consulate General in Auckland, New Zealand and was the Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. She currently serves as Director of the Office of Central African Affairs at the State Department.[1]

Ambassador to Burundi[]

On May 1, 2020, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Higgins to be the next United States Ambassador to Burundi. On May 19, 2020, her nomination was sent to the Senate.[2] On November 18, 2020, her nomination was confirmed in the United States Senate by voice vote.[3] She took the oath of office on January 13, 2021.[4] On March 2, 2021, she presented her credentials to President Évariste Ndayishimiye.[5]

Awards[]

In 2010, she received the Sinclaire Language Award from the American Foreign Service Association.[1][6]

Personal life[]

Higgins speaks French, Indonesian, and some Bosnian.[1]

See also[]

  • List of ambassadors of the United States

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts" White House, May 1, 2020 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "Seven Nominations and One Withdrawal Sent to the Senate", The White House, May 19, 2020
  3. ^ "PN1906 - Nomination of Melanie Harris Higgins for Department of State, 116th Congress (2019-2020)". www.congress.gov. 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  4. ^ "Ambassador Designate - Melanie Harris Higgins". U.S. Embassy in Burundi. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  5. ^ "Presentation of Credentials by Ambassador Melanie H. Higgins" (Press release). Bujumbura, Burundi. 2021-03-03. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  6. ^ "Past Sinclaire Award Winners". www.afsa.org. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Burundi
2021–present 		Incumbent
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