Michele J. Sison

Michele Jeanne Sison (born May 27, 1959 in Arlington, Virginia) is an American diplomat and career member of the Senior Foreign Service currently serving as the United States Ambassador to Haiti.[2] She has previously served in various other diplomatic posts around the world on behalf of the United States.

Michele Sison
United States Ambassador to Haiti
Incumbent
Assumed office February 21, 2018
President	Donald Trump Joe Biden
Preceded by	Peter Mulrean
United States Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations
In office December 7, 2014 – February 21, 2018
President	Barack Obama Donald Trump
Leader	Samantha Power Nikki Haley
Preceded by	Rosemary DiCarlo
Succeeded by	Jonathan Cohen
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Acting
In office January 20, 2017 – January 27, 2017
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Samantha Power
Succeeded by	Nikki Haley
United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka
In office September 14, 2012 – December 6, 2014
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Patricia A. Butenis
Succeeded by	Atul Keshap
United States Ambassador to the Maldives
In office September 9, 2012 – December 6, 2014
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Patricia A. Butenis
Succeeded by	Atul Keshap
United States Ambassador to Lebanon
In office January 25, 2008 – August 9, 2010 Acting: January 25, 2008 – September 4, 2008
President	George W. Bush Barack Obama
Preceded by	Jeffrey D. Feltman
Succeeded by	Maura Connelly
United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates
In office February 7, 2005 – January 19, 2008
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Marcelle Wahba
Succeeded by	Martin R. Quinn
Personal details
Born	Michele Jeanne Sison May 27, 1959 Arlington, Virginia, U.S.[1]
Education	Wellesley College (BA) London School of Economics

Early education and personal life

Sison earned her B.A. in political science from Wellesley College and also studied at the London School of Economics. She has two daughters.[3] Her father is originally from the Philippines.[4]

Career

Stephen J. Rapp, the United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, and Michele J. Sison talking with E. Saravanapavan in Jaffna on 8 January 2014. Some of the bullet holes and portraits of slain staff are visible on the wall behind them.

Sison's overseas assignments have included service as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan (1999–2002) and as consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, India (1996–1999). She also served at the U.S. Missions in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (1993–1996); Douala, Cameroon (1991–1993); Cotonou, Benin (1988–1991); Lomé, Togo (1984–1988); and Port-au-Prince, Haiti (1982–1984), as well as in Washington. Ambassador Sison is the recipient of numerous U.S. Department of State awards for exceptional service.

She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates on May 6, 2004, and sworn in by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on July 12, 2004. Prior to her appointment to the UAE, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs, charged with providing broad policy oversight of U.S. relations with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.[5]

She also had a short stint as the U.S. Chargés d'affaires a.i. in Lebanon,[6] before her Senate confirmation as U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon on August 1, 2008. Sison's assignment in Lebanon ended in August 2010.

She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 29, 2012, as U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.[7]

On July 8, 2014, President Barack Obama announced the nomination of Sison as Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and Deputy Representative of the United States in the Security Council of the United Nations.[8] She was confirmed by the Senate in a voice vote on November 19, 2014.[9]

On November 2, 2017, she was confirmed by the Senate to serve as the United States Ambassador to Haiti, having been nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump.[10] Among the major issues facing her in her new role will be navigating a response by the United Nations to victims of a cholera epidemic the organization started in October 2010. She will also be confronted with the U.S. government's pending decision on whether or not to extend Temporary Protected Status to Haitian immigrants who were in the U.S. at the time of the massive earthquake in Port-au-Prince in January 2010.

References

1. AllGov. "Ambassador to Haiti: Who Is Michele Sison?". Retrieved February 26, 2018.
2. Department of State. "U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Michele J. Sison". Retrieved February 22, 2018.
3. "Michele J. Sison".
4. "AllGov.com".
5. "Michele J. Sison: US Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates". Asian Journal. 27 October 2009. Archived from the original on 14 September 2011.
6. "Deputy Chief of Mission - Beirut, Lebanon - Embassy of the United States". United States Department of State, Embassy of the United States in Beirut, Lebanon. Archived from the original on March 13, 2010.
7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-06-13. Retrieved 2010-12-13.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Ambassador Michele J. Sison, Embassy of the United States, Sri Lanka and Maldives
8. "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts" (Press release). The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. July 8, 2014.
9. Domani Spero (November 20, 2014). "Senate Confirmations 11/19: Cormack, Mustard, Miller, Cefkin, Yamate, Sison". Diplopundit.
10. United States Senate. "PN834 — Michele Jeanne Sison — Department of State". Retrieved December 23, 2017.

External links

• Michele J. Sison Biography at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti
• Appearances on C-SPAN