Sunday, August 02, 2009
Kenneth H. Merten, a career diplomat of more than 20 years, was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to Haiti August 17, 2009. Merten has twice before worked in the small island nation.
Merten attended college at Miami University in Ohio, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1983. He later received a Masters in Public Administration from American University, and has studied at the Université d’Aix-Marseille in France and at Karl Franzens Universität in Austria.
Merten joined the Foreign Service in 1987. His work for the State Department has been divided between assignments in Washington, DC, and those overseas. His previous diplomatic postings abroad include serving as the economic counselor in Paris, France, followed by his first tour in Haiti as the economic section chief. He was the economic officer at the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium, and then performed the same function for the U.S. embassy in Bonn, Germany. Merten returned to Haiti to serve as vice consul in Port-au-Prince.
His Washington assignments include two tours in the State Department Operations Center and service in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs and on the Cuba Desk, as well as a year as Special Assistant to the Special Advisors on Haiti.
Merten was serving as deputy executive secretary at the State Department when President Barack Obama nominated him in June for the ambassadorship to Haiti.
Merten and his wife Susan have two daughters.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
President Obama Announces Intent to Nominate Key Administration Posts (White House press release)
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