Former FSO/Obama Foundation’s Bernadette M. Meehan to be Ambassador to Chile

July 22, 2021 By in Nominations, Officially In, U.S. Missions Tags: , , ,
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President Biden announced his intent to nominate Obama Foundation EVP and former FSO Bernadette Meehan to be the next Ambassador to Chile. The WH released the following brief bio:

Bernadette M. Meehan, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Chile

Bernadette Meehan currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Global Programs for the Obama Foundation, where she served previously as Chief International Officer and Executive Director of International Programs.  Prior to joining the Obama Foundation, Ms. Meehan was a career Foreign Service Officer for over a decade.  During her time with the State Department, she was detailed to work in multiple positions at the National Security Council, including as a Senior Advisor, as Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Spokesperson, and earlier, as Director for Strategic Communications.  Among her other assignments, Ms. Meehan served as Special Assistant to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Dean and Virginia Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy; Special Assistant in the State Department’s Executive Secretariat; Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate General Dubai, United Arab Emirates; both Consular Officer and Special Assistant to the Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq; and Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia.

Ms. Meehan earned her B.A. from Boston College.  Her civic leadership includes service on the Board of Advisors at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and the Advisory Council of Hostage US.  She speaks Spanish and Arabic.

If confirmed, Ms. Meehan would succeed DGHR/Acting M Carol Z. Perez who served as Ambassador to Santiago from 2016-2019. According to congress.gov, Andrew M. Gellert was nominated to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary on January 8, 2018 but the nomination was withdrawn on August 16, 2018.

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