Karen B. Stewart

Karen Stewart
United States Ambassador to the Marshall Islands
Assumed office
July 21, 2016
President Barack Obama
Preceded by Thomas Armbruster
United States Ambassador to Laos
In office
November 16, 2010 – August 8, 2013
President Barack Obama
Preceded by Ravic Huso
Succeeded by Daniel Clune
United States Ambassador to Belarus
In office
October 24, 2006 – March 12, 2008
President George W. Bush
Preceded by George Krol
Succeeded by Jonathan Moore (Acting)
Personal details
Born (1952-04-10) April 10, 1952
Alma mater Wellesley College
University of Virginia
National Defense University

Karen Brevard Stewart (born 1952) is an American diplomat who is the current United States Ambassador to the Marshall Islands. She was nominated by President Barack Obama to be United States Ambassador to the Marshall Islands on November 5, 2015 was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 17, 2016.[1] Stewart also served as United States Ambassador to Belarus from August 14, 2006 to March 12, 2008 and as United States Ambassador to Laos from November 2010 to August 2013.

Early life and education

Stewart is the daughter of Brevard Nisbet Stewart and Selden L. Stewart II.[2] In 1973 Stewart graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wellesley College with a BA in astronomy and economics. She then studied astronomy at the University of Virginia.

Career

Stewart joined the Foreign Service in 1977. Her early international assignments have included ones in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Laos and Pakistan. Her domestic assignments have included serving as international relations officer in the State Department’s Office of Fisheries Affairs, economic officer in the Office of Energy Consuming Countries, and economic-commercial desk officer in the Office of Israel and Arab-Israeli Affairs.

Stewart earned an MS in national security strategy from the National War College of the National Defense University in 1998.

Stewart was deputy chief of mission in Belarus from 2004 to 2004 and in 2006 President George W. Bush nominated her to be the country’s ambassador. However, following U.S. imposed sanctions,[3] President Alexander Lukashenko pressured Stewart to leave the country in 2008. The United States had been a persistent critic of Lukashenko.[4] Belarus has been labeled "Europe's last dictatorship" by some Western journalists,[5][6] on account of Lukashenko's self-described authoritarian style of government.[7][8][9] Lukashenko and other Belarusian officials are also the subject of sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States for alleged human rights violations off and on since 2006.[10][11]

In 2010 Stewart became U.S. Ambassador to Laos, where she had held two earlier posts.[12]

When President Barack Obama nominated her to become U.S. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands,[13]Stewart was serving as political adviser to the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, a role she had held since 2013. [14] She arrived in the country on July 16, 2016.

Personal

In addition to English, Stewart speaks Lao, Russian and Thai.

References

  1. ↑ PN934 — Karen Brevard Stewart — Department of State Congressional Record, May 17, 2016
  2. ↑ https://www.congress.gov/crec/2016/03/10/CREC-2016-03-10-pt1-PgS1438.pdf Congressional Record: Senate]Congressional Record, March 10, 2016
  3. ↑ In Response to Sanctions, Belarus Seeks to Oust U.S. Envoy The Washington Post, March 8, 2008
  4. ↑ Diplomats’ Expulsion Angers U.S. The New York Times, May 2, 2008
  5. ↑ Rausing, Sigrid (7 October 2012). "Belarus: inside Europe's last dictatorship". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "Belarus's Lukashenko: "Better a dictator than gay"". Berlin. Reuters. 4 March 2012. ...German Foreign Minister's branding him 'Europe's last dictator'
  7. ↑ "Profile: Alexander Lukashenko". BBC News. BBC. 9 January 2007. Retrieved 7 August 2014. '..an authoritarian ruling style is characteristic of me [Lukashenko]'
  8. ↑ "Essential Background – Belarus". Human Rights Watch. 2005. Retrieved 26 March 2006.
  9. ↑ "Human rights by country – Belarus". Amnesty International Report 2007. Amnesty International. 2007. Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  10. ↑ "COUNCIL DECISION 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Belarus" (PDF). Official Journal of the European Union. Council of the European Union. 15 October 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  11. ↑ Department of the Treasury (5 December 2012). "Belarus Sanctions". Government of the United States. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  12. ↑ With Laos Disappearance, Signs of a Liberalization in Backslide The New York Times, January 10, 2013
  13. ↑ President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts The White House, November 5, 2015
  14. ↑ http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/us-ambassador-to-the-marshall-islands-who-is-karen-brevard-stewart-160101?news=858072 U.S. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands: Who Is Karen Brevard Stewart?] AllGov, January 1, 2016
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
George Krol		 United States Ambassador to Belarus
2006–2008 		Succeeded by
Jonathan Moore
Acting
Preceded by
Ravic Huso		 United States Ambassador to Laos
2010–2013 		Succeeded by
Daniel Clune
Preceded by
Thomas Armbruster		 United States Ambassador to the Marshall Islands
2016–present 		Incumbent
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