Daily Archives: March 29, 2012

Officially In: Michele J. Sison, from Iraq to Sri Lanka and the Maldives

March 29, 2012 By in Ambassadors, FSOs, Nominations, Officially In Tags: , ,

On March 26, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Ambassador Michele J. Sison as the next Ambassador to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives. The WH released the following brief bio:

Ambassador Michele J. Sison, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, is currently the Assistant Chief of Mission for Law Enforcement and Rule of Law Assistance in Baghdad, Iraq.  From 2008 to 2010, she was Ambassador to the Republic of Lebanon.  She was Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 2004 to 2008 and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs from 2002 to 2004.  Ambassador Sison’s prior assignments include:  Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan; Consul General in Chennai, India; Consul General in Douala, Cameroon; and Director of Career Development and Assignments in the Department of State’s Bureau of Human Resources.  Additional overseas assignments include roles at the U.S. Embassies in Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, and Haiti.

Ambassador Sison received a B.A. from Wellesley College.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michele J. Sison (second from right) inspects a new Harley Davidson police motorcycle with Lebanese ISF commanders at the U.S. Embassy Beirut, May 18, 2010. (State Department Photo)

If confirmed, Ambassador Sison would succeed career diplomat, Patricia A. Butenis who was appointed to Sri Lanka and the Maldives (based in Colombo) in 2009.  A brief piece in State’s Asian Pacific Heritage Month in 2010 says that Ambassador Sison is a proud Filipino-American, with family roots in Lingayen, Pangasinan, in the Philippines. Born in Virginia, Ambassador Sison earned her B.A. in Political Science from Wellesley College. She joined the Foreign Service in 1982. She is the recipient of numerous U.S. Department of State awards for exceptional service as well as the Presidential Meritorious Service Award.

Domani Spero

Related item:

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts | March 26. 2012


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US Embassy Romania: New Embassy Dedication Ceremony

March 29, 2012 By in Ambassadors, New Embassy, Photo of the Day, Social Media, U.S. Missions Tags: ,

Via US Embassy Romania:

On March 22, 2012, U.S. Ambassador Mark H. Gitenstein officially dedicated the new Embassy in Bucharest, Romania. The ceremony included a ribbon-cutting and the unveiling of a plaque that has been placed on the main entrance to the Embassy. The keynote speaker for the event was Delaware Attorney General Joseph R. “Beau” Biden, III. Also speaking were Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Ungureanu, Senate President Vasile Blaga and the Managing Director of Operations for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Leo Hession. Young Romanian pianist Mihai Ritivoiu performed as well (Lucian Crusoveanu / Public Diplomacy Office)

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Adrienne Rich: “What Kind of Times Are These”

March 29, 2012 By in Memorial, Poetry Tags: 3 Comments

Rest in peace Adrienne Rich. She died on Tuesday  at her home in Santa Cruz, California.  She was 82. Here she is with her poem, What Kind of Times Are These. 

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