Ambassador of the United States to Zambia
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Michael C. Gonzales
since September 16, 2022
NominatorThe President of the United States
Inaugural holderRobert C. Good
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationMarch 11, 1965
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Lusaka Edit this at Wikidata

The history of ambassadors of the United States to Zambia began in 1964.

Until 1964 Zambia had been a colony of the British Empire, first as Northern Rhodesia and then as a part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. On December 31, 1963, the federation was dissolved into Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia. On October 24, 1964, Northern Rhodesia gained full independence as the Republic of Zambia.

The United States immediately recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations. An embassy in Lusaka was established on October 24, 1964—independence day for Zambia. Robert C. Foulon was appointed as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim pending the appointment of an ambassador. The first ambassador, Robert C. Good was appointed on March 11, 1965. All U.S. Ambassadors to Zambia have held the official title Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

The United States embassy in Zambia is located in Lusaka.

The U.S. ambassador to Zambia serves concurrently as the U.S. representative to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).[1]

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 to remain in office.

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.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
Name Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission
Robert C. Good – Political appointee March 11, 1965 March 24, 1965 December 14, 1968
Oliver L. Troxel, Jr. – Career FSO May 27, 1969 July 17, 1969 May 12, 1972
Jean M. Wilkowski – Career FSO June 27, 1972 September 26, 1972 July 24, 1976
Stephen Low – Career FSO August 5, 1976 August 31, 1976 July 5, 1979
Frank George Wisner II – Career FSO August 2, 1979 August 28, 1979 April 19, 1982
Nicholas Platt – Career FSO July 22, 1982 August 31, 1982 December 17, 1984
Paul Julian Hare – Career FSO July 12, 1985 July 31, 1985 August 8, 1988
Jeffrey Davidow – Career FSO July 11, 1988 September 1, 1988 March 31, 1990
Gordon L. Streeb – Career FSO October 22, 1990 November 21, 1990 December 27, 1993
Roland Karl Kuchel – Career FSO August 9, 1993 January 14, 1994 November 10, 1996
Arlene Render – Career FSO July 2, 1996 December 20, 1996 June 30, 1999
David B. Dunn – Career FSO July 7, 1999 September 2, 1999 July 1, 2002
Martin George Brennan – Career FSO October 3, 2002 December 5, 2002 July 15, 2005
Carmen M. Martinez – Career FSO November 2, 2005 December 12, 2005 July 29, 2008
Donald E. Booth – Career FSO June 4, 2008 September 19, 2008 March 17, 2010
Mark C. Storella – Career FSO August 20, 2010 September 21, 2010 August 8, 2013[2]
Eric T. Schultz – Career FSO September 18, 2014 December 12, 2014 November 20, 2017
Daniel Lewis Foote – Career FSO November 20, 2017 December 14, 2017 January 2, 2020
Michael C. Gonzales - Career FSO August 4, 2022 September 16, 2022 Incumbent

Notes

  1. ^ "Ambassador Mark C. Storella". United States Department of State, U.S. Embassy Lusaka. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  2. ^ "Mark C. Storella - People - Department History - Office of the Historian".

See also

References

External links

Ambassadors of the United States
Categories