Kelly Keiderling

Kelly Keiderling
United States Ambassador to Uruguay
Incumbent
Assumed office June 23, 2016
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Julissa Reynoso
Personal details
Born	1966 (age 49–50) Dominican Republic
Alma mater	Georgetown University National Defense University

Kelly Keiderling (born 1966) is an American diplomat who is the United States Ambassador to Uruguay.

Early life and education

Keiderling was born in the Dominican Republic.^[1] Keiderling’s father was in the U.S. foreign service and had met her Bolivian mother on his first international assignment in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Keiderling grew up primarily in Latin America and Portugal.^[2]

Keiderling earned a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and later a master's degree from the National War College.

Career

Keiderling joined the foreign service in 1988. Her U.S. assignments included ones as Senior Panama Desk officer, Public Diplomacy Desk Officer for the Caribbean, acting deputy director for Central American Affairs, Strategic Language Issues Coordinator in the Bureau of Human Resources, Chief of Staff in the Iraq Office, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Her foreign assignments have included serving as Deputy Chief of Mission in Chișinău, Moldova. She has served as Public Affairs Officer in Cuba, Botswana and Kyrgyzstan. Her other international assignments include ones in the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, and Zambia.

Keiderling was Deputy Chief of Mission and at times Chargé d'Affaires in Caracas, Venezuela during a time of tumultuous relations between that country and the U.S.

When tapped by President Obama to become United States Ambassador to Uruguay. She was confirmed by the Senate on May 17, 2016.^[3][4] She assumed her role on June 23, 2016.^[5] Keiderling was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), a role she had held since December 2013.^[6]

Personal

Keiderling is married to David Franz, a foreign service officer, and they have two children. In addition to English, she speaks Spanish, Portuguese, French and Russian, as well as some Italian and Romanian.^[7]

References

1. Hispanic Heritage: Kelly Keiderling U.S. State Department, September 17, 2014
2. Like Father, Like Daughter: An Interview with Kelly Keiderling Global Ties, March 31, 2015
3. Congress nominations The New York Times, April 28, 2016
4. PN1054 — Kelly Keiderling-Franz — Department of State Congressional record, May 17, 2016
5. Ambassador Kelly Keiderling, United States Embassy: Montevideo, Uruguay, July 6, 2016 accessed July 14, 2016
6. Kelly Keiderling U.S. State Department, accessed May 21, 2016
7. Statement of Kelly Keiderling U.S. Senate record, March 10, 2016