WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today held a committee business meeting during which members approved 15 nominees.
“Processing nominations continues to be a core responsibility of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and I am glad the committee approved another fifteen nominees this morning,” said Risch. “I am especially pleased to be sending ambassadorial nominees for Japan and Ukraine to the full Senate for confirmation. These posts play a vital role in U.S. foreign policymaking, and I hope Mr. Weinstein and Mr. Dayton will be confirmed soon.”
The full list of nominees approved during today’s business meeting is below:
NOMINATIONS:
Mr. Erik Paul Bethel, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Panama.
Mr. Edward A. Burrier, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation.
Lieutenant General Keith W. Dayton, United States Army, Retired, of Washington, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Ukraine.
Mr. William A. Douglass, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
Ms. Julie D. Fisher, of Tennessee, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Belarus.
Ms. Melanie Harris Higgins, of Georgia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Burundi.
Ms. Jeanne Marie Maloney, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Eswatini.
Mr. Michael A. McCarthy, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Liberia.
Mr. Jonathan Pratt, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Djibouti.
The Honorable Manisha Singh, of Florida, to be Representative of the United States of America to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with the rank of Ambassador.
Mr. James Broward Story, of South Carolina, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Ms. Barbera Hale Thornhill, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Singapore.
Mr. Thomas Laszlo Vajda, of Arizona, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Union of Burma.
The Honorable Kenneth R. Weinstein, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Japan.
Mr. Alex Nelson Wong, of New Jersey, to be Alternate Representative of the United States of America for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations with the rank of Ambassador, and to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during his tenure of service as Alternate Representative of the United States of America for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations.
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