Dana Shell Smith

Dana Shell Smith (born 1970) is a former American diplomat and career Foreign Service Officer who served as the United States Ambassador to Qatar from July 2014 to June 2017.[1][2] She was confirmed by the Senate as the U.S. Ambassador to Qatar on July 10, 2014.[3] Previously, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs from 2011 to 2014 and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Media.[4][5][6][7]

Dana Smith
United States Ambassador to Qatar
In office August 8, 2014 – June 20, 2017
President	Barack Obama Donald Trump
Preceded by	Susan L. Ziadeh
Succeeded by	William K. Grant
Personal details
Born	1970 (age 50–51)
Spouse(s)	Ray Smith
Relations	Jeff Shell (brother)
Alma mater	University of California, San Diego

Early life and education

In 1992, she graduated from the University of California at San Diego with a bachelor's degree in political science and Middle East studies.[8]

Career

Smith was confirmed by the Senate as the U.S. Ambassador to Qatar on July 10, 2014. She presented her credentials to Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on September 8, 2014. Previously, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs from 2011 to 2014 and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Media.[9]

On June 13, 2017 Smith announced that she would be resigning her post later that month.[10][1] State Department records indicate June 20, 2017 as her official date of departure from service.[2] Since leaving government service, she has been highly critical of the changes in the State Department under the Trump administration, describing the situation as a "disaster waiting to happen".[11]

Prior to her assignments in the Bureau of Public Affairs, Smith was the State Department's Regional Arabic Language Spokesperson in Dubai. She served in a number of positions including as Senior Advisor to the Director General and overseas tours of duty in Taipei (as Chief of the Public Affairs Section and Spokesperson, American Institute in Taiwan),[12] Amman, Tel Aviv/Gaza, and Cairo.[4][8]

In November 2020, Smith was named a member of the Joe Biden presidential transition Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the U.S. Agency for Global Media.[13]

Personal life

Smith speaks Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and Hebrew. She is married to Diplomatic Security Officer Ray Smith and they have two children.[4] Her brother is Jeff Shell.[14]

Publications

• "How to Have an Insanely Demanding Job and 2 Happy Children". The Atlantic, June 27, 2012.
• "US-Qatar Relations: Realizing the Full Potential of a Growing Strategic Partnership". The Ambassadors Review, Spring 2015.

See also

• List of ambassadors of the United States

References

1. Steinbuch, Yaron (June 13, 2017). "US ambassador to Qatar steps down amid Gulf crisis". New York Post. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
2. "Dana Shell Smith (1970–)". history.state.gov. U.S. Dept. of State. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
3. "Dana Shell Smith". congress.gov. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
4. "Chief of Mission Biography at U.S. Embassy Doha". United States Embassy in Qatar. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2015.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
5. Sanders, Sam (December 3, 2014). "American Couple Detained In Qatar Allowed To Return Home". National Public Radio. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
6. Gladstone, Rick (December 3, 2014). "Exonerated in Qatar, American Couple Head Home". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
7. "US exports to Qatar crossed $5bn in 2014". qatarisbooming.com. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
8. "U.S. Ambassador to Qatar: Who Is Dana Shell Smith?". allgov.com. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
9. Jillian C. York. "Why is the State Department Tweeting in Arabic? A Conversation with Dana Shell Smith". jilliancyork.com. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
10. "U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Steps Down". Muslim Global. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
11. Gardiner Harris (November 24, 2017). "Diplomats Sound the Alarm as They Are Pushed Out in Droves". The New York Times. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
12. "Dana Shell Smith Assumes Duties as New AIT Public Affairs Section Chief". American Institute in Taiwan. 2004-06-25. Archived from the original on 2019-04-13. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
13. "Agency Review Teams". President-Elect Joe Biden. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
14. Torok, Ryan (October 29, 2015). "Moving and shaking: AFMDA Humanitarian Award, Tour de Summer Camps and more". Jewish Journal.

External links

• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Personal Twitter account [@AmbDana]