Marie Yovanovitch | |
---|---|
United States Ambassador to Ukraine | |
Assumed office August 18, 2016 |
|
President |
Barack Obama Donald Trump |
Preceded by | Geoffrey Pyatt |
United States Ambassador to Armenia | |
In office September 22, 2008 – June 9, 2011 |
|
President |
George W. Bush Barack Obama |
Preceded by | John Evans |
Succeeded by | John Heffern |
United States Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan | |
In office February 4, 2005 – February 4, 2008 |
|
President | George W. Bush |
Preceded by | Stephen Young |
Succeeded by | Tatiana Gfoeller |
Personal details | |
Born | 1958 (age 58–59) Montreal, Canada |
Alma mater |
Princeton University National Defense University |
Marie Louise Yovanovitch (born 1958) is the 9th US Ambassador to Ukraine, after being sworn in on August 18, 2016 after having been nominated to the post on May 18, 2016 to replace Geoff Pyatt. Prior to that, from August 1, 2008 to June 3, 2011, she was the Ambassador from the United States of America to Armenia. She was the first woman to hold this position. She was previously Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan.
Ambassador Yovanovitch of Connecticut, a career member of the senior foreign service, Class of Counselor, was nominated on June 3, 2005 to serve as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kyrgyz Republic, and confirmed by the United States Senate on June 30, 2005.
Prior to her appointment as U.S. Ambassador, Yovanovitch was the Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from August 2004 to May 2005. From August 2001 to June 2004, she was the Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine. Prior to this assignment, from May 1998 to May 2000, she served as the Deputy Director of the Russian Desk. Her previous overseas assignments include Ottawa, Moscow, London, and Mogadishu. Yovanovitch joined the foreign service in 1986.
Marie Yovanovitch is the daughter of Michel Yovanovitch and Nadia (Theokritoff) Yovanovitch.
Ambassador Yovanovitch is a graduate of Kent School and Princeton University where she earned a BA in History and Russian Studies (1980). She has studied at the Pushkin Institute (1980) and received an MS from the National War College (2001).