Tag Archives: Geeta Pasi

US Amb. to Ethiopia Geeta Pasi to Retire, Amb. Tracey Ann Jacobson to be CDA

February 1, 2022 By in AF |Africa, Ambassadors, Appointments, chargé d’affaires, FSOs, Hotspots, Retirement, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , ,

 

The State Department just announced that the US Ambassador to Ethiopia Geeta Pasi “plans to retire to pursue other opportunities.” Foggy Bottom has appointed Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to serve as Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, at the Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ambassador Pasi was nominated ambassador in June 2020. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 22, 2020.
The official statement says “The Department of State expresses its great appreciation to Ambassador Pasi, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, for her distinguished public service in advancing the values and interests of the United States around the globe, a career marked by three ambassadorial assignments and senior State Department leadership positions in Washington, D.C. We are particularly grateful for her stewardship of Embassy Addis Ababa during an exceptionally complex period.”
Ambassador Jacobson retired from the State Department in 2017. She was most recently appointed as Afghanistan Task Force Director in July 2021 during the Department’s Operation Allies Refuge.

 

Related posts:

US Embassy Ethiopia Now Under “Authorized Departure” Order #voluntaryevac

November 4, 2021 By in AF |Africa, Americans Abroad, Consular Work, Evacuations, Realities of the FS, Security, Spouses, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , ,

 

The US Embassy in Addis Ababa just issued a Security Alert announcing the State Department’s authorized voluntary departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members of emergency and non-emergency employees from Ethiopia due to armed conflict, civil unrest, and possible supply shortages. A Level 4 Do Not Travel to Ethiopia Advisory dated November 3, 2021 was also issued urging U.S. citizens in Ethiopia to “consider departing now using commercial options.”

On November 3, the Department authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members of emergency and non-emergency employees from Ethiopia due to armed conflict, civil unrest, and possible supply shortages.

U.S. citizens in Ethiopia should consider departing now using commercial options. Those planning to remain should ensure they have sufficient provisions stocked in case they need to shelter in place.

Travel to Ethiopia is unsafe at this time due to the ongoing armed conflict.  Incidents of civil unrest and ethnic violence may occur without warning.

Further escalation is likely, and may cause supply chain shortages, communications blackouts and travel disruptions.  The Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency on November 2, 2021.

The Government of Ethiopia has previously restricted or shut down internet, cellular data, and phone services during and after civil unrest. These restrictions impede the U.S. Embassy’s ability to communicate with, and provide consular services to, U.S. citizens in Ethiopia.

The U.S. Embassy has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens outside of Addis Ababa. U.S. Embassy personnel are currently restricted from traveling outside of Addis Ababa city limits.

Actions to Take:

    • Have a personal emergency action plan that does not rely on U.S. government assistance.
    • Take advantage of commercial transportation options, if you wish to depart Ethiopia.
    • Monitor local media for breaking news on such events;
    • Avoid large crowds and demonstrations;
    • Be aware of your surroundings;
    • Keep a low profile.
Read in full here.
The US Embassy in Addis is headed by a career diplomat, Ambassador Geeta Pasi.  Immediately prior to her appointment, Ambassador Pasi was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, beginning in 2018.  She previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to Chad (2016-2018) and Djibouti (2011-2014).
Ambassador Pasi’s DCM is Fiona Scholand Evans who assumed her duties as Deputy Chief of Mission in Addis Ababa in August 2021.  Ms. Evans has served overseas in Peru, Tajikistan, Kosovo, Iceland, Kenya, and twice in Germany.  In Washington, D.C., Ms. Evans was Transportation Officer and Deputy Director of the Aviation Negotiations Office at the State Department.

Presentations of Credentials: U.S. Ambassadors to Djibouti, Ethiopia, Burundi, Uganda

March 19, 2021 By in AF |Africa, Ambassadors, Foreign Service, FSOs, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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State/AF PDAS Geeta Pasi to be U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia

June 23, 2020 By in AF |Africa, Ambassadors, FSOs, Nominations, Officially In Tags: , , , ,
The WH released the following brief bio:
Geeta Pasi, of New York, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
Ms. Pasi, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Career Minister, is Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs at the Department of State.  She previously served as United States Ambassador to Chad and as United States Ambassador to Djibouti.
Ms. Pasi also served as Director of Career Development and Assignments for the State Department, Director of the Department’s Office of East African Affairs, Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Deputy Principal Officer at the United States Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany.  Her other past assignments include Afghanistan Desk Officer in the Office of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh Affairs, Political Officer at the United States Embassy in New Delhi, India, and Political Officer at the United States Embassy in Accra, Ghana.
Ms. Pasi earned her B.A. from Duke University and her M.A. from New York University.  She has won numerous Department of State performance awards, including the Matilde W. Sinclaire Language Award.  She speaks French, German, Hindi, Romanian, and Russian.

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US Embassy Khartoum’s CDA Steven Christopher Koutsis to be U.S. Ambassador to Chad

August 5, 2019 By in FSOs, Nominations, Officially In, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , ,

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On July 24, 2019, the WH announced the president’s intent to nominate  Steven Christopher Koutsis, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Chad. The WH released the following brief info:
Steven Koutsis, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister Counselor, currently serves as Charge d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan.  Previously, he served as Director of the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Deputy Chief of Mission in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and Deputy Director in the Office of Central African Affairs.  Earlier assignments include service as Team Leader of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Diyala Province, Iraq, Political and Economic Counselor in Monrovia, Liberia, and Deputy Chief of Mission in Nouakchott, Mauritania.  Mr. Koutsis earned a B.A. from Boston University in 1979.  He is the recipient of the Department of Army Superior Civilian Service Award for his service in Iraq.  Mr. Koutsis speaks French and Arabic.
If confirmed, Mr.Koutsis would succeed Ambassador Geeta Pasi (1962–) who was appointed U.S. Ambasasdor to Chad from October 6, 2016–September 20, 2018.
According to AFSA, 21 career diplomats have been appointed as ambassador to Chad since 1960.  Chad is one of 41 Foreign Service posts with no history of political appointments.

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@StateDept Dedicates New $225M U.S. Embassy in N’Djamena, Chad

October 19, 2017 By in AF |Africa, Ambassadors, Contractors, Foreign Service, Functional Bureaus, Hotspots, New Embassy, State Department, Technology and Work, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted: 3:25 am ET
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On October 16, the State Department announced that “In an important symbol of our enduring partnership with the people of the Republic of Chad, U.S. Ambassador Geeta Pasi, Acting Director of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Ambassador William Moser, and Chadian Government officials dedicated the new U.S. Embassy in N’Djamena.”  We don’t know how many local officials attended as there appears to be no official photographs released of the embassy dedication (also see Trump Announces New Visa Restrictions For Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, Somalia).

According to State/OBO the new U.S. Embassy compound in Chad’s capital city of N’Djamena is situated on a 12-acre site in the Chagoua neighborhood, several kilometers southeast of downtown. The multi-building complex includes a chancery office building, a Marine Security Guard residence, support buildings and facilities for the Embassy community.

Via state.gov/OBO

The following details via the State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (State/OBO):

      • The facilities meet all Department standards for security and life safety, and provide functional office space for Embassy staff.
      • The building’s scale, massing, and materials anchor the compound in this prominent, developing location within the city, and foster a sense of community and place.
      • The project was awarded in early 2014 and construction completed in spring 2017.
      • The site and building design provide shelter and relief from heat and sand storms, and seasonal rains.
      • A regionally-relevant color palette carried throughout the compound structures gives the Embassy a visual and cultural connection to the host nation.
      • An exterior space provides sufficient space to accommodate representational events.
      • The high performance interior offers an open-plan office, allowing delineation of work groups while providing continuous support for the workplace.
      • New and expanded civil infrastructure within and outside the complex includes new roads, sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, and storm water management.
      • A sculpted perimeter wall provides a secure perimeter and a well-lit public gathering space outside the complex, adjacent to the main entry.
      • An estimated 800 workers from the region—largely from Chad—are involved in the construction of the new Embassy

As with NEC Nouakchott, NEC N’Djamena is built for sustainability according to State/OBO:

  • The project is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification, and has met LEED® Gold certification.
  • The energy-efficient building design uses passive strategies, energy-efficient lighting, building controls, renewable energy systems, and HVAC systems projected to decrease energy use by 51%.
  • A pierced sunscreen shades the building, reducing heat gain, while water features collect and channel storm water in a way that celebrates the rainy season.
  • A multi-colored fiber-cement paneling system provides a cost-effective, thermally-efficient, and durable exterior.
  • Photovoltaic solar power arrays on-site are designed to offset 15% of the Chancery’s energy costs.
  • The compound is designed to minimize use of the local domestic water through efficient plumbing fixtures and equipment. All of the facility’s wastewater will be treated on-site and used to meet all of the site’s irrigation demand.
  • The facility is designed to provide a healthy indoor working environment through the use of low-emitting materials, air monitoring and comfort controls, as well as chemical and pollutant source controls.

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Senate Confirms Casper, Pasi, Leonard, and 279 Career Foreign Service Nominations

July 1, 2016 By in Ambassadors, Confirmations, Congress, Foreign Service, FSOs, Senators, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , ,

Posted: 3:01 am ET
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On June 29, the U.S. Senate confirmed President Obama’s nominees as Ambassadors to Burundi, Chad and the African Union. It also approved the nominations of 279 career Foreign Service officers.

2016-06-29 PN1489 Department of State
Anne S. Casper, of Nevada, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Burundi.

2016-06-29 PN1384 Department of State
Geeta Pasi, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Chad.

2016-06-29 PN1373 Department of State
Mary Beth Leonard, of Massachusetts, to be Representative of the United States of America to the African Union, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

2016-06-29 PN951-2 Foreign Service
Nomination for Richard Gustave Olson, Jr., which nomination was received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional Record on November 19, 2015.

2016-06-29 PN1419 Foreign Service
Nomination for Emily M. Scott, which nomination was received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional Record on April 28, 2016.

2016-06-29 PN1486 Foreign Service
Nominations beginning Amanda R. Ahlers, and ending Lee V. Wilbur, which 90 nominations were received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional Record on May 18, 2016.

2016-06-29 PN1495 Foreign Service
Nominations beginning Jocelyn N. Adams, and ending Brian Joseph Zacherl, which 187 nominations were received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional Record on May 19, 2016.

 

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