Lucy Tamlyn

Lucy Tamlyn (born 1955) is a U.S. diplomat and the current United States Ambassador to the Central African Republic. President Donald Trump nominated her in July 2018[2] and she was confirmed in January 2019.

Lucy Tamlyn
United States Ambassador to the Central African Republic
Incumbent
Assumed office February 6, 2019
President	Donald Trump Joe Biden
Preceded by	Jeffrey Hawkins
United States Ambassador to Benin
In office October 23, 2015 – October 17, 2018
President	Barack Obama Donald Trump
Preceded by	Michael A. Raynor
Succeeded by	Patricia Mahoney
Personal details
Born	1955 (age 65–66)[1]
Alma mater	St. John’s College Columbia University

Early life and education

Tamlyn is from New York City. Her father, Thomas Tamlyn, was a cardiologist who served in 1969 on the SS Hope, a ship that brought medical support to underserved areas. Her mother, Ann Donaldson Tamlyn,[3] later ran unsuccessfully for Congress from Maryland.

Tamlyn was an undergraduate at St. John's College Annapolis, Maryland. She graduated in 1978. Tamlyn then completed her M.A. at Columbia University's School of International Affairs in 1980.[4]

Career

Tamlyn joined the Foreign Service in 1982. In her early career she held assignments in Austria, Colombia, and Mozambique. She served as a political officer in Brazil and represented the U.S. to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome.[5] From 2005 to 2008 Tamlyn served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in N’Djamena, Chad. She then became Provincial Reconstruction Team Leader in Erbil, Iraq from 2008 to 2009. She served in Lisbon, Portugal, as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy.[6]

Just prior to her nomination as Ambassador to Benin, Tamlyn was Director of the Office of the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan.[7] She was nominated by President Obama on March 24, 2015 and confirmed by the Senate October 8, 2015. Her term began October 13, 2015 and she presented her credentials on November 8, 2015.[1][8] In July 2018, President Donald Trump nominated her to be the next United States Ambassador to the Central African Republic.[9] She left her post as Ambassador to Benin in October 2018.[10] She was later confirmed by voice vote on January 2, 2019[11] and sworn in as Ambassador to the Central African Republic on January 11, 2019.[12] Tamlyn presented her credentials to President Faustin-Archange Touadéra on February 6, 2019.[13]

Personal life

Tamlyn is married to travel writer and photographer Jorge M. Serpa of Portugal, and they have two children. In addition to English, she speaks French and Portuguese.

See also

• List of ambassadors of the United States

References

1. "Lucy Tamlyn (1955–)". Office of the Historian. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
2. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts". The White House. 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
3. Thomas T. Tamlyn M.D. The New York Times, May 1, 2009
4. U.S. Ambassador to Benin: Who Is Lucy Tamlyn? AllGov, accessed April 10, 2016
5. Statement of Record Lucy Tamlyn Ambassador-Designate to the Republic of Benin U.S. Senate, July 30, 2015
6. President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts the White House, March 24, 2015
7. Sudan, Iran, the Obama Administration, and Khartoum’s political vision Sudan Tribune, October 16, 2014
8. PRÉSENTATION DE LETTRES DE CRÉANCES : LE NOUVEL AMBASSADEUR DES ETATS-UNIS ACCRÉDITÉ La Nation Benin, November 9, 2015
9. "PN2350 — Lucy Tamlyn — Department of State". U.S. Congress. July 31, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
10. "Ambassador Tamlyn Farewell message". U.S. Embassy in Benin. 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
11. "PN2350 - Nomination of Lucy Tamlyn for Department of State, 115th Congress (2017-2018)". www.congress.gov. 2019-01-02. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
12. "Ambassador Lucy Tamlyn". U.S. Embassy in Central African Republic. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
13. "CAR: Lucy Tamlyn, appointed new US Ambassador to Centrafric, "Good bye Cotonou, Hello Bangui!"". Centrafrican News Agency. 2019-02-08. Retrieved 2019-05-16.