Michele Sison
Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs
Assumed office
December 21, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byKevin Moley
United States Ambassador to Haiti
In office
February 21, 2018 – October 9, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Preceded byPeter Mulrean
Succeeded byKenneth H. Merten (Chargé d’Affaires)
United States Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations
In office
December 7, 2014 – February 21, 2018
PresidentBarack Obama
Donald Trump
Preceded byRosemary DiCarlo
Succeeded byJonathan Cohen
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Acting
In office
January 20, 2017 – January 27, 2017
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded bySamantha Power
Succeeded byNikki Haley
United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka
In office
September 14, 2012 – December 6, 2014
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byPatricia A. Butenis
Succeeded byAtul Keshap
United States Ambassador to the Maldives
In office
September 9, 2012 – December 6, 2014
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byPatricia A. Butenis
Succeeded byAtul Keshap
United States Ambassador to Lebanon
In office
January 25, 2008 – August 9, 2010
Acting: January 25, 2008 – September 4, 2008
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Barack Obama
Preceded byJeffrey D. Feltman
Succeeded byMaura Connelly
United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates
In office
February 7, 2005 – January 19, 2008
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byMarcelle Wahba
Succeeded byMartin Quinn
Personal details
Born
Michele Jeanne Sison

(1959-05-27) May 27, 1959
Arlington, Virginia, U.S.
EducationWellesley College (BA)
London School of Economics

Michele Jeanne Sison (born May 27, 1959)[1] is an American diplomat and career member of the Senior Foreign Service serving as the assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs. She has previously served in various other diplomatic posts around the world on behalf of the United States, including ambassador to Haiti.[2] Sison holds the personal rank of career ambassador.

Early life and education

Sison earned her bachelor of arts in political science from Wellesley College, and also studied at the London School of Economics.

Career

Stephen J. Rapp, the United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, and Michele J. Sison talking with E. Saravanapavan in Jaffna on 8 January 2014. Some of the bullet holes and portraits of slain staff are visible on the wall behind them.

Sison's overseas assignments have included service as deputy chief of mission and chargé d'affaires at the U.S. embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan (1999–2002) and as consul general at the U.S. consulate general in Chennai, India (1996–1999). She also served at the U.S. missions in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (1993–1996); Douala, Cameroon (1991–1993); Cotonou, Benin (1988–1991); Lomé, Togo (1984–1988); and Port-au-Prince, Haiti (1982–1984), as well as in Washington. Ambassador Sison is the recipient of numerous U.S. Department of State awards for exceptional service.

She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as United States ambassador to the United Arab Emirates on May 6, 2004, and sworn in by Secretary of State Colin Powell on July 12, 2004. Prior to her appointment to the UAE, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs, charged with providing broad policy oversight of U.S. relations with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.[3]

She also had a short stint as the U.S. Chargés d'affaires a.i. in Lebanon,[4] before her Senate confirmation as U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon on August 1, 2008. Sison's assignment in Lebanon ended in August 2010.

She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 29, 2012, as U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.[5]

On July 8, 2014, President Barack Obama announced the nomination of Sison as Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and Deputy Representative of the United States in the Security Council of the United Nations.[6] She was confirmed by the Senate in a voice vote on November 19, 2014.[7]

Ambassador to Haiti

Sison at the United Nations with John Kerry and Samantha Power.

On November 2, 2017, she was confirmed by the Senate to serve as the United States Ambassador to Haiti, having been nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump.[8] Among the major issues facing her in her role were navigating a response by the United Nations to victims of a cholera epidemic the organization started in October 2010. She was also confronted with the U.S. government's decision on whether or not to extend Temporary Protected Status to Haitian immigrants who were in the U.S. at the time of the massive earthquake in Port-au-Prince in January 2010.

In 2018, Sison was promoted to the personal rank of Career Ambassador, the highest personal rank in the Senior Foreign Service, given for exceptionally distinguished service over a prolonged period of time.[9]

Sison left the post on October 9, 2021, and was succeeded by Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Kenneth H. Merten.[10]

Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs

On April 15, 2021, Sison was nominated by President Biden to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs. Sison's nomination was reported favorably on June 24, 2021, by the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. She was confirmed to the position by the Senate on December 18, 2021, by voice vote,[11] and she was sworn in on December 21, 2021.[12]

Personal life

Sison speaks fluent French and basic Haitian Creole and Arabic. She has two daughters.[13] Her father is originally from the Philippines.[14]

References

  1. ↑ AllGov. "Ambassador to Haiti: Who Is Michele Sison?". Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  2. ↑ Department of State. "U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Michele J. Sison". Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Michele J. Sison: US Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates". Asian Journal. October 27, 2009. Archived from the original on September 14, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Deputy Chief of Mission - Beirut, Lebanon - Embassy of the United States". United States Department of State, Embassy of the United States in Beirut, Lebanon. Archived from the original on March 13, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Ambassador | Embassy of the United States Sri Lanka and the Maldives". Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2010. Ambassador Michele J. Sison, Embassy of the United States, Sri Lanka and Maldives
  6. ↑ "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts" (Press release). The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. July 8, 2014.
  7. ↑ Domani Spero (November 20, 2014). "Senate Confirmations 11/19: Cormack, Mustard, Miller, Cefkin, Yamate, Sison". Diplopundit.
  8. ↑ United States Senate (November 2, 2017). "PN834 — Michele Jeanne Sison — Department of State". Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  9. ↑ Pompeo, Michael (September 13, 2018). "Secretary Pompeo on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved September 13, 2018. Today marks a proud moment for the @StateDept . Four of our finest diplomats have been conferred by @POTUS as Career Ambassadors—the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service. Congratulations, Philip Goldberg, David Hale, Michele Sison & Dan Smith on this high honor. Much deserved!
  10. ↑ Zo-Info Plus [@ZoomInfoPlusHT] (October 11, 2021). "La mission diplomatique de Michèle J. Sison qui a débutée en février 2018 en Haïti a pris fin ce 9 oct" (Tweet) (in French). Retrieved January 2, 2022 – via Twitter.
  11. ↑ "PN384 — Michele Jeanne Sison — Department of State 117th Congress (2021-2022)". US Congress. December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Michele J. Sison". United States Department of State. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Michele J. Sison". www.nndb.com.
  14. ↑ "AllGov - Officials". www.allgov.com.
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