Senate approves Kelly Degnan as the US ambassador to Georgia

The US Senate has approved Kelly Degnan as the new ambassador of the US to Georgia, the diplomat who has 25 years of diplomatic experience and is a recipient of the Secretary of State’s Expeditionary Service Award.

The US President Donald Trump presented Californian Degnan for the role in September 2019. 

The post has been vacant since March 2018.

Before the nomination to the post Degnan served as the political advisor to the Commander of United States Naval Forces Europe – United States Naval Forces Africa.

Previously, she was deputy chief of mission of the United States mission to Italy, deputy executive secretary of the Department of State, and Deputy Chief of mission of the United States Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo.

During her 25-year career, she has served as political counselor at the United States mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels, Belgium, senior civilian representative to Brigade Combat Team Salerno in Khost, Afghanistan, and deputy political counselor at the United States Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.

Trump’s administration says that she also served as a special assistant to the Secretary of State and to the Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the Department of State.

She speaks Italian, French, Turkish and Urdu.

Previous Ambassador Ian Kelly announced his retirement once his mission in Georgia concluded at the end of March 2018, bringing an end to his 33-year career.