United States Ambassador to Cape Verde
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| Ambassador of the United States to Cape Verde | |
|---|---|
Seal of the United States Department of State
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| Nominator | Barack H. Obama |
| Inaugural holder | Melissa F. Wells as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
| Formation | September 16, 1976 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy - Praia |
Cape Verde had been a Portuguese colony for more than 500 years since 1456. in 1974 Portugal and the Cape Verdeans signed an agreement to form a transitional government, and Cape Verde gained full independence from Portugal on July 5, 1975.
The United States recognized Cape Verde and commissioned its first ambassador Melissa F. Wells in 1976. Ambassador Wells was concurrently accredited to Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde while resident at Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. In 1980, an embassy was established in the capital Praia with a chargé d’affaires managing the business of the embassy.
Ambassadors
U.S. diplomatic terms
Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.
Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).
Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as “commissioning”. It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional-recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate.
Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador’s arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador’s letter, but this occurs only rarely.
Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador’s commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.
Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. See chargé d'affaires.
Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime". See ad interim.
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.
Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).
Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as “commissioning”. It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional-recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate.
Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador’s arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador’s letter, but this occurs only rarely.
Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador’s commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.
Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. See chargé d'affaires.
Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime". See ad interim.
- Note: Until 1980 one ambassador, resident at Bissau, was concurrently commissioned to Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.
- Melissa F. Wells – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 16, 1976
- Presented credentials: November 18, 1976
- Terminated mission: Left post, March 23, 1977
- Edward Marks – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 15, 1977
- Presented credentials: October 18, 1977
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 11, 1980
- Note: Embassy Praia was established January 28, 1978 with Howard McGowan as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. The ambassador remained in Bissau.
- Peter Jon de Vos – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 5, 1980
- Presented credentials: September 24, 1980
- Terminated mission: Left Bissau, March 30, 1983
- Note: In 1983 the first ambassador was appointed solely accredited to Cape Verde.
- John Melvin Yates – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: March 18, 1983
- Presented credentials: April 26, 1983
- Terminated mission: Left post, May 24, 1986
- Vernon Dubois Penner, Jr. – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 16, 1986
- Presented credentials: July 15, 1986
- Terminated mission: Left post, November 21, 1989
- Francis Terry McNamara – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 21, 1989
- Presented credentials: December 23, 1989
- Terminated mission: Left post, December 31, 1992
- Joseph Monroe Segars – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 14, 1992
- Presented credentials: March 24, 1993
- Terminated mission: Left post, March 17, 1996
- Lawrence Neal Benedict – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 6, 1996
- Presented credentials: July 30, 1996
- Terminated mission: Left post August 11, 1999
- Michael D. Metelits – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 7, 1999
- Presented credentials: September 15, 1999
- Terminated mission: Left post July 24, 2002
- Donald C. Johnson – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 3, 2002
- Presented credentials: November 21, 2002
- Terminated mission: Left post, April 4, 2005
- Roger D. Pierce – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 21, 2005
- Presented credentials: September 27, 2005
- Terminated mission: June 9, 2008
- Marianne M. Myles – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 13, 2008
- Presented credentials: Unknown
- Terminated mission: August 2010
- Dana Brown - Career FSO
- Title: Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
- Appointed: August 2010
- Presented credentials: Unknown
- Terminated mission: Unknown
- Adrienne S. O'Neal - Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 19, 2011
- Presented credentials: November 10, 2011
- Terminated mission: Unknown
- Donald Helfin - Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 12, 2014
- Presented credentials: January 19, 2015
- Terminated mission: Incumbent
See also
- Embassy of Cape Verde in Washington, D.C.
- Cape Verde – United States relations
- Foreign relations of Cape Verde
- Ambassadors from the United States
References
- U.S. Department of State: Background Notes on Cape Verde
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Department of State (Background Notes).
External links
- United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Cape Verde
- United States Department of State: Cape Verde
- United States Embassy in Praia
