List of ambassadors of the United States to the Marshall Islands

Ambassador of the United States to the Marshall Islands
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Lance Posey
Chargé d’affaires[1]
since August 18, 2023[2]
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderSamuel B. Thomsen
as Representative
FormationOctober 21, 1986
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Majuro

This is a list of the ambassadors of the United States to the Marshall Islands. The Office of the U.S. Representative was opened at Majuro on October 21, 1986. It was upgraded to an embassy on September 6, 1989.

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".

Ambassadors

  • Samuel B. Thomsen – Career FSO
    • State of Residency: California
    • Title: Representative
    • Appointment: June 15, 1987
    • Presentation of Credentials: July 11, 1987
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, July 11, 1990
  • William Bodde, Jr. – Career FSO
    • State of Residency: Maryland
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: June 27, 1990
    • Presentation of Credentials: August 6, 1990
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, June 28, 1992
  • David C. Fields – Career FSO
    • State of Residency: California
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: July 7, 1992
    • Presentation of Credentials: August 19, 1992
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, May 15, 1995
  • Joan M. Plaisted – Career FSO
    • State of Residency: California
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: December 19, 1995
    • Presentation of Credentials: February 9, 1996
    • Termination of Mission: Left post July 28, 2000
    • Note: Also accredited to Kiribati; resident at Majuro.
  • Michael J. Senko – Career FSO
    • State of Residency: District of Columbia
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: December 28, 2000
    • Presentation of Credentials: January 26, 2001
    • Termination of Mission: Left post August 2, 2003
    • Note: Also accredited to Kiribati; resident at Majuro.
  • Greta N. Morris – Career FSO
    • State of Residency: California
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: July 1, 2003
    • Presentation of Credentials: August 26, 2003
    • Termination of Mission: Left post, August 2, 2006
  • Clyde Bishop – Career FSO
    • State of Residency: Delaware
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: July 18, 2006
    • Presentation of Credentials: December 7, 2006
    • Termination of Mission: January 20, 2009
  • Martha Campbell – Career FSO
    • State of Residency: Michigan
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: August 21, 2009
    • Presentation of Credentials: September 7, 2009
    • Termination of Mission: July 11, 2012
  • Thomas Hart Armbruster - Career FSO
    • State of Residency: New York
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: August 2, 2012
    • Presentation of Credentials: September 6, 2012
    • Termination of Mission: May 25, 2016
  • Karen B. Stewart - Career FSO
    • State of Residency: Florida
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: June 6, 2016
    • Presentation of Credentials: July 25, 2016
    • Termination of Mission: January 27, 2020
  • Roxanne Cabral
    • State of Residency: Virginia
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointment: December 31, 2019
    • Presentation of Credentials: February 6, 2020
    • Termination of Mission: March 3, 2023

See also

References

  1. ^ https://mh.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/dcm/
  2. ^ https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02JoZv2EAKVJAKidncZtmajFMZHNVY5t5yN2buwvteBmrp9hU2qM2ksebeeooJEeRMl&id=100064597573618

External links

  • United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for the Marshall Islands
  • United States Department of State: Marshall Islands
  • United States Embassy in Majuro
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