Kathleen A. Kavalec

Kathleen Ann Kavalec is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Romania since February 2023. She is a former nominee to be the United States ambassador to Albania under President Donald Trump.

Kathleen A. Kavalec
United States Ambassador to Romania
Assumed office
February 14, 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byDavid Muniz
Charge d'Affaires a.i.
Personal details
BornCalifornia, U.S.[1]
EducationUniversity of California at Berkeley (BA)
Georgetown University (MS)

Early life and education

Kavalec earned her bachelor of arts in political science from the University of California at Berkeley and a master of science in foreign service from Georgetown University.[2]

Career
Kathleen Kavalec (center)

Kavalec is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, with the rank of minister-counselor. She has served as the head of mission at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2019. Previously, she served as deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. Kavalec also served as the director of the Office of Russian Affairs and the deputy chief of mission of the U.S. mission UNESCO in Paris, France. Kavalec was responsible for overseeing major U.S. foreign assistance programs as deputy coordinator for assistance in the European Bureau, and as director for conflict prevention in the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. Kavalec has served in Bucharest, Romania, Kyiv, Ukraine and Moscow, Russia. Domestically, she served as a legislative management officer in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs and has also served as director of the economic unit in the office of the coordinator for assistance for the New Independent States.

Nomination as United States ambassador to Albania

On July 3, 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Kavalec to be the next United States ambassador to Albania.[3][4] Her nomination expired at the end of the year and was ultimately returned to Trump.[5]

United States ambassador to Romania

On June 3, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Kavalec to be the United States ambassador to Romania.[2][6] Hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on November 29, 2022. The committee favorably reported the nomination on December 7, 2022. On December 15, 2022, her nomination was confirmed by in the Senate by voice vote.[7] She was sworn in on December 20, 2022,[8] and presented her credentials to President Klaus Iohannis on February 14, 2023.[9]

Awards and recognitions

Kavalec has won numerous State Department awards, as well as the Presidential Rank Award.

Personal life

Kavalec is a native of California. She speaks Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Russian.[2]

References
  1. "Kathleen Ann Kavalec – nominated by Biden as US Ambassador to Bucharest". June 4, 2022.
  2. "President Biden Announces Key Nominees". The White House. June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  3. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts – The White House". The White House. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  4. "Kathleen Kavalec to replace Donald Lu as US Ambassador to Albania – Tirana Times". Tirana Times. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  5. "PN2233 - Nomination of Kathleen Ann Kavalec for Department of State, 115th Congress (2017-2018)". www.congress.gov. January 3, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  6. Fodor, Simona (June 6, 2022). "Kathleen Ann Kavalec nominated as U.S. ambassador to Romania". Romania Insider. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  7. "PN2222 - Nomination of Kathleen Ann Kavalec for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  8. "U.S. Ambassador to Romania Kathleen Kavalec". United States Department of State. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  9. US Embassy Bucharest [@AmbasadaSUA] (February 14, 2023). "(1/2) Ambasadorul SUA Kathleen Kavalec: "Am fost foarte onorată să prezint scrisorile de acreditare ca @USAmbRo Președintelui @KlausIohannis" (Tweet) (in Romanian). Retrieved February 14, 2023 – via Twitter.
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