Eric W. Kneedler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Ambassador to Rwanda | |
| Assumed office October 18, 2023 | |
| President | Joe Biden Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Peter H. Vrooman |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Pomona College (BA) Johns Hopkins University (MA) |
Eric W. Kneedler is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Rwanda since October 2023.
Kneedler earned his Bachelor’s degree from Pomona College,and his Master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. [1]
Kneedler is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor. He previously served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi,Kenya,where he also served as Chargéd’Affaires,ad interim. Kneedler had also served as Counselor for Political Affairs at the Embassy in Nairobi,and held the same role at the U.S. Embassy in Manila,Philippines. Previously,Kneelder served as the Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S Embassy in Bangkok,Thailand,and as a Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta,Indonesia. Other assignments include Staff Assistant in the Bureau of European Affairs,a Senior Watch Officer in the State Department’s Operations Center,and various positions at the U.S. Embassy in Port Louis,Mauritius,and at the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong. [1]
On August 3,2022,President Joe Biden nominated Kneedler to be the ambassador to Rwanda. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] His nomination was not acted upon for the remainder of the year,and was returned to Biden on January 3,2023. [6]
President Biden renominated Kneedler the following day. Hearings on his nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 1,2023. The committee favorably reported his nomination on April 27,2023. His nomination was confirmed by the full United States Senate via voice vote on July 27,2023. [7] He presented his credentials to Rwandan President Paul Kagame on October 18,2023. [8]
His foreign languages include Thai,Indonesian,French, [1] Cantonese,and Italian. [9]
Herro Kader Mustafa Garg is a Kurdish-American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Egypt since November 2023. She served as the United States ambassador to Bulgaria from October 2019 to March 2023.
Robert Frank Godec is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Thailand since October 2022. He formerly served as the United States ambassador to Kenya from 2013 to 2019 and the United States ambassador to Tunisia from 2006 to 2009. He also served as acting assistant secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs from January to September 2021.
Richard Merrill Mills Jr. is an American diplomat serving as the United States ambassador to Nigeria since July 2024. He served as the United States deputy ambassador to the United Nations from 2020 to 2024 and,in that capacity,served as the U.S. Chargéd'Affaires and Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations between January 20,2021,and February 25,2021,when Linda Thomas-Greenfield became ambassador. He previously served as the U.S. Chargéd'Affaires for Canada.
Peter Hendrick Vrooman is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Mozambique since 2022. He previously served as the United States ambassador to Rwanda from 2018 to 2022.
Donald Armin Blome is an American diplomat who had served as the United States ambassador to Pakistan. He also served as the United States ambassador to Tunisia from 2019 to 2022.
Jessica Davis Ba is an American diplomat who serves as the United States ambassador to Ivory Coast in the Biden administration. She previously served as Senior Coordinator and Special Advisor for Africa in the Office of the Vice President. Davis Ba previously served as the Chargéd’Affaires,ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in N’Djamena,Chad.
William W. Popp is an American diplomat serving as the United States ambassador to Uganda since September 2023. He previously served as the United States ambassador to Guatemala.
Elizabeth Moore Aubin is an American diplomat and State Department official who has served as U.S. ambassador to Algeria since February 9,2022. She previously served as acting principal deputy assistant secretary and deputy assistant secretary for regional multilateral affairs from January 20,2021 to June 7,2021. In June 2024,Aubin was nominated to serve as the United States ambassador to Cameroon.
Eugene Stewart Young is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to the Republic of the Congo since 2022.
Lesslie Clay Viguerie is an American attorney and career diplomat who serves as the United States ambassador to Kyrgyzstan since December 2022.
William Huie Duncan is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to El Salvador since February 2023.
Michael C. Gonzales is an American diplomat serving as the United States ambassador to Zambia. He previously served as the deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of African Affairs.
Gautam A. Rana is an Indian-American lawyer and diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Slovakia since September 2022.
Marie C. Damour is an American diplomat who is the current Ambassador to Fiji,serving concurrently as the ambassador to Kiribati,Nauru,Tonga,and Tuvalu. She previously served as Consul General of the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam.
Henry V. Jardine is an American diplomat and former military officer serving as the United States ambassador to Mauritius and Seychelles since February 2023.
Hugo Yue-Ho Yon is an American diplomat serving as the U.S. ambassador to the Maldives since September 2023.
Kathleen A. FitzGibbon is an American diplomat serving as the United States ambassador to Niger since August 2023.
Nicole D. Theriot is an American diplomat who has been serving as the U.S. ambassador to Guyana since October 2023.
Martina Anna Tkadlec Strong is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to the United Arab Emirates since October 4,2023. She previously served as the de facto United States ambassador to Saudi Arabia from January 20,2021 until April 16,2023.
Joel Ehrendreich is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Palau since September 2023. He previously served as the director of the Office of Japanese Affairs at the State Department from 2022 to 2023.