Kara McDonald
Kara C. McDonald | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Ambassador to Lithuania | |
| In office January 26, 2024 – December 22, 2025 | |
| President | Joe Biden Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Robert S. Gilchrist |
| Acting United States Ambassador to Lithuania | |
| Assumed office December 22, 2025 | |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Michigan (BA) The Fletcher School at Tufts University (MA) |
Kara C. McDonald is an American diplomat currently serving as the United States ambassador to Lithuania. She previously served as the deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor from 2020 to 2024.
Early life and education
McDonald was raised in Michigan. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and comparative literature from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Arts degree from The Fletcher School at Tufts University. She speaks French, Romanian, and Russian.[1][2]
Career
McDonald is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. She has served as U.S. Consul General in Strasbourg, deputy permanent observer to the Council of Europe, and deputy chief of mission in Chișinău, Moldova.[3]
Other roles include director in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, deputy special coordinator for Haiti, and director for United Nations and International Operations at the National Security Council.
She was also a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and held overseas posts in Bucharest and Port-au-Prince. From 2021 to 2022, she served as the senior official to monitor and combat antisemitism[1], and from 2020 to 2024, as deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor.[2]
United States ambassador to Lithuania
On March 20, 2023, Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate McDonald to serve as the next United States ambassador to Lithuania. On March 21, 2023, her nomination was sent to the Senate.[4] Hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 21, 2023. The committee favorably reported her nomination on July 13, 2023. On November 29, 2023, her nomination was confirmed in the Senate by voice vote.[5] She presented her credentials to President Gitanas Nausėda on January 26, 2024.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b "President Biden Announces Key Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. March 20, 2023.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b "Kara McDonald". July 20, 2020. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
- ^ "Kara McDonald | State Representative" (PDF). afsa.org. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
- ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. March 21, 2023.
- ^ "PN444 — Kara C. McDonald — Department of State 118th Congress (2023-2024)". US Congress. 29 November 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ @USEmbVilnius (January 26, 2024). "Pleased to announce Kara C. McDonald presented her credentials to President @GitanasNauseda today. She is now officially the U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania! #AmbMcDonald 👏 for another milestone in the long friendship between the 🇺🇸 & 🇱🇹! #USinLT" (Tweet). Retrieved January 26, 2024 – via Twitter.
Current United States ambassadors to the member states of the European Union | ||
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∗ denotes acting. | ||