Donald Heflin

Donald L. Heflin (born 1958) is an American diplomat who served as United States Ambassador to Cape Verde from 2015 to 2018.

Donald "Don" Heflin
United States Ambassador to Cape Verde
In office January 27, 2015 – September 11, 2018
President	Barack Obama, Donald Trump
Preceded by	Adrienne S. O'Neal
Succeeded by	Marissa Scott (chargée d'affairs)
Personal details
Born	1958 (age 62–63) Leesburg, Virginia
Spouse(s)	Lauren Teeling Adams
Children	Sara Heflin
Alma mater	S. R. Butler High School Birmingham-Southern College University of Alabama

Career

Heflin joined the Foreign Service in 1987 and was first posted to Lima, Peru and then, in 1990, to Madras, India. In 1992, Heflin was moved to be deputy principal officer in Hermosillo, Mexico and the next year, in his first African posting, he was assigned to the embassy in Lusaka, Zambia as consul.[1]

Heflin was recalled to Washington in 1995 as desk officer for Rwanda and Burundi and two years later to be the coordination division officer in the Bureau of Consular Affairs.[2]

In 1999, Heflin was again posted overseas as a consul in the embassy in London, United Kingdom, staying there until 2004, when he returned to the US to work as Deputy Director for the Office of West African Affairs. While in that post, Heflin worked as acting Director for a time.[1]

Heflin returned to Mexico in 2009 to work as principal officer and Consul General in Nuevo Laredo. Heflin left Mexico for another stint in Washington in 2012, when he started as the managing director of the Consular Affairs Visa Office. He remained in this post until he was nominated for the ambassadorship for Cape Verde in June 2014.

Helfin testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in July 2014 and was confirmed by Senate voice vote as the United States Ambassador to Cape Verde on the 12 December 2014.[3][4][5] He begun his duties in Praia on 29 January the next year.[1] Heflin presented his credentials to Jorge Carlos Fonseca, the President of Cape Verde on 5 February 2015.[6]

Heflin left the post in early September 2018 and was succeeded by Marissa Scott as chargée d'affairs and in 2019 by Jeff Daigle, the new Ambassador.[7][8][9][10] Heflin serves as Minister-Counselor for Consular and Consulate Affairs in Mexico, overseeing the nine American Consulates in the country.

Personal life

Heflin has a daughter, Sara, and can speak Spanish and Portuguese.[2][11]

Heflin is a supporter of the Crimson Tide, the football team of his alma mater, University of Alabama.[2]

References

1. "Donald L. Heflin". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
2. Straehley, Steve. "U.S. Ambassador to Cabo Verde: Who Is Donald Heflin?". AllGov. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
3. "Ambassador Nominations". C-SPAN. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
4. "PN1770 — Donald L. Heflin — Department of State". Congress.Gov. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
5. Spero, Domani. "Confirmations: Gilbert (NZ), Barber (Iceland), Hyatt (Palau), Palmer (Malawi), Heflin (Cabo Verde), Chacon (DGHR)". Diplopundit. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
6. "Donald Heflin is the new US ambassador to Cape Verde". NOBIDADE TV. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
7. "Donald Heflin: Cabo Verde precisa diversificar a sua economia rural". SAPO Notícias. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
8. "Embaixador Donald Heflin na 'hora di bai': EUA não vai instalar base militar em Cabo Verde, debate do SOFA é normal e … algo anti-americano". A Semana. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
9. "Chargée d'Affaires Marissa Scott". U.S. Embassy in Cabo Verde. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
10. "Ambassador, John "Jeff" Daigle". U.S. Embassy in Cabo Verde. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
11. "Heflin, Donald L. - Republic of Cabo Verde - 6 - 2014". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 14 November 2018.