Kristie Kenney

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Kristie Anne Kenney (born 1955 in Washington, D.C.) is the current United States Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines. She was nominated by George W. Bush on November 3, 2005, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 16, 2006, and sworn in to office by Secretary Condoleezza Rice on March 6, 2006. On March 17, Kenney arrived in the Philippines to assume her duties as the first female ambassador to this former US colony in Asia. On March 22, she submitted her credentials to Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. She was preceded by Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr., now U.S. Ambassador to Egypt.

Prior to that, Kenney served as the US ambassador to Ecuador. She holds a Masters degree in Latin American Studies from Tulane University and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Clemson University. Before working for the United States Foreign Service, she worked as a United States Senate Page, a tour guide in the United States Capitol, an intern in the House of Representatives, and as a staff member of the Senate Human Resources Committee.

At the State Department, she was appointed overseas as Economic Counselor at the United States Mission to International Organizations in Geneva, Economic Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Argentina, and Consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica. Back home, she was appointed as Director of the State Department Operations Center, a detail to the White House as a member of the National Security Council staff, and Political-Military Officer in the Office of NATO Affairs.

Kenney served as Executive Secretary of the State Department before becoming Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. She worked for both Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell and led the State Department's transition team from the Clinton to Bush Administrations.

She is married to the current United States Ambassador to Colombia William Brownfield. She speaks both Spanish and French.

On December 4, 2007, US ambassador Kristie Kenney turned over 7 Navy utility boats and two Boston whalers to the Philippine Navy in ceremonies held at its headquarters on Roxas Boulevard, Manila. She voiced support for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo: "No, we do not support extra-constitutional means to change government, in the Philippines or anywhere else in the world, I think it's always disturbing when you see people behaving contrary to the rule of law and constitutional authority; Washington will continue to "remain a very, very strong ally" of Arroyo, who is President George W. Bush's key ally in the Southeast Asian theatre of the US-led "war on terror; "We want this country to move forward." ^[1] Kenney stated that she would visit The Peninsula Manila: "Fortunately, the hotel, a great hotel, has opened again. I look forward to going there myself." ^[2] On December 5, 2007, US Ambassador Kristie Kenney will personally confer an international award to Gov. Grace Padaca the prestigious International Women of Courage Award, which was also conferred to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. It was bestowed to Padaca for her continued development of Isabela following a colorful stint as a broadcast journalist.^[3] Earlier, Kenney congratulated the Philippine authorities for their quick action that led to the arrest of the Batasan blast suspects, and she praised MMDA for keeping Manila clean and orderly. On the bases, she said: “We are not building any bases in the Philippines, we don’t have any plans to have bases, and we don’t need any bases,” (at the Western Mindanao Command Thanksgiving dinner for American and Filipino military officers). Also, Kenney and World Bank country director Bert Hoffman signed the grant agreement of $750,000 or about P32 million at the International Finance Corporation offices in Makati City, for the Bangsang Moro Mindanao Trust Fund agency. She earlier announced a 3-million-dollar grant to the Philippines to help promote family planning in the workplace and the US donation of $38, 000 for preservation of Banaue rice terraces.^[4]

[edit] External links

• Kenney, Kristie A. (official biography). United States Department of State (2006-07-06). Retrieved on 2007-08-21.

[edit] References

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Gwen C. Clare	United States Ambassador to Ecuador 2002 – 2005	Succeeded by Linda Jewell
Preceded by Darryl N. Johnson Chargé d'Affaires ad interim	United States Ambassador to the Philippines 2006 – Present	Succeeded by Incumbent