Kristie Anne Kenney (born May 24, 1955[citation needed]) is an American former senior diplomat who served as the 32nd Counselor of the United States Department of State from 2016 to 2017. She is a recipient of the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award and held the nation's highest diplomatic rank of Career Ambassador in the United States Foreign Service. She served as the Department of State Transition Coordinator for the 2016–17 transition.[2]
Ambassador Kenney previously served as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador, as United States Ambassador to the Philippines, and most recently as United States Ambassador to Thailand.[3] She was the first female U.S. ambassador to the latter two countries. Kenney holds a master's degree in Latin American studies from Tulane University and a bachelor's degree in political science from Clemson University.
- ^ "Tillerson presides over abrupt shakeup at State Department". CNN. February 17, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
- ^ "Agency Transition Directors Council". July 29, 2016.
- ^ "Kristie Anne Kenney (1955–)". U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian. September 26, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2015.