Eric W. Kneedler

Eric W. Kneedler is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Rwanda since October 2023.

Eric W. Kneedler
United States Ambassador to Rwanda
Assumed office
October 18, 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byPeter H. Vrooman
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
EducationPomona College (BA)
Johns Hopkins University (MA)

Early life and education

Kneedler earned his Bachelor’s degree from Pomona College, and his Master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.[1]

Career

Kneedler is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, with the rank of Minister-Counselor. He currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, where he also served as Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim. Kneedler had also served as Counselor for Political Affairs at the Embassy in Nairobi, and held the same role at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines. Previously, Kneelder served as the Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, and as a Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia. Other assignments include Staff Assistant in the Bureau of European Affairs, a Senior Watch Officer in the State Department’s Operations Center, and various positions at the U.S. Embassy in Port Louis, Mauritius, and at the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong.[1]

U.S ambassador to Rwanda

On August 3, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Kneedler to be the next ambassador to Rwanda.[1][2][3][4][5] His nomination was not acted upon for the remainder of the year, and was returned to Biden on January 3, 2023.[6]

President Biden renominated Kneedler the following day. Hearings on his nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 1, 2023. The committee favorably reported his nomination on April 27, 2023. His nomination was confirmed by the full United States Senate via voice vote on July 27, 2023.[7] He presented his credentials to President Paul Kagame on October 18, 2023.[8]

Personal life

His foreign languages include Thai, Indonesian, and French, Cantonese, and Italian.[1][9]

References
  1. "President Biden Announces Key Nominees". The White House. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  2. Wambui, Mary (4 August 2022). "Biden nominates Kneedler as ambassador to Rwanda". Nation.Africa. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  3. McGoldrick, Gillian (January 22, 2021). "Lancaster native appointed interim U.S. ambassador to Kenya as countries negotiate trade deal". Lancaster Online. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  4. Yakubu, Mohammed (4 August 2022). "Joe Biden Announces Former US Kenyan Emissary As New Ambassador To Rwanda". Transcontinental Times. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  5. Iliza, Ange (4 August 2022). "Joe Biden nominates career diplomat Eric Kneedler as US ambassador to Rwanda". The East African. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  6. "PN2453 - Nomination of Eric W. Kneedler for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  7. "PN38 — Eric W. Kneedler — Department of State 118th Congress (2023-2024)". US Congress. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  8. @USAmbRwanda (October 18, 2023). "Ambassador Eric Kneedler presented his credentials today to President Paul Kagame" (Tweet). Retrieved 2023-10-24 – via Twitter.
  9. "Kneedler, Eric W. - Republic of Rwanda - August 2022". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
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