Bernadette M. Allen
Encyclopedia
Foreign Service Officer
A Foreign Service Officer is a commissioned member of the United States Foreign Service. As diplomats, Foreign Service Officers formulate and implement the foreign policy of the United States. FSOs spend most of their careers overseas as members of U.S. embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic...
and ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
. She is the former U.S. Ambassador to Niger
United States Ambassador to Niger
The day before Niger's independence on August 3, 1960, the first American Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, Donald R. Norland, presented his credentials to take effect the following day. The first United States ambassador to Niger, R. Borden Reams was appointed that October 14 and presented his...
.
Education and career
Allen was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and raised in Seat Pleasant, Maryland
Seat Pleasant, Maryland
Seat Pleasant is an incorporated city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States immediately east of Washington D.C. The population was 4,885 at the 2000 census. Two state highways run through it — Maryland Route 704 and Maryland Route 214...
. She earned a B.A. in French Civilization and Linguistics at Central College in Pella, Iowa
Pella, Iowa
Pella is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,832 at the 2000 census. Pella is the home of Central College as well as several manufacturing companies, including Pella Corporation and Vermeer Manufacturing Company.- History :...
in 1978. She studied abroad
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
for a year in 1977, earning a Certificate in French Civilization from the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. From 1987–1989 she completed an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Human Resources Management from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
while handling her regular duties at the Department of State. She speaks French and Mandarin Chinese.
Allen was commissioned into the U.S. diplomatic service in January 1980. On October 26, 2005, President Bush nominated her to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Niger. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 16, 2006, and sworn in as ambassador on March 28, 2006.
Foreign assignments
- General Services Officer/Vice Consul at the U.S. Embassy in BujumburaBujumbura-Education:The University of Burundi is located in Bujumbura.Hope Africa University is located in BujumburaUniversité du Lac Tanganyika is located in Bujumbura-External links:**...
, BurundiBurundiBurundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
(1980–1982) - Temporary duty assignment as Consul at the U.S. Consulate in FukuokaFukuoka, Fukuokais the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(1984) - Consul at the U.S. Embassy, Manila, PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
(1982–1984) - Consular Section Chief at the U.S. Consulate General in GuangzhouGuangzhouGuangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(1991–1994) - Chief of the MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
Consular Section (2000–2002) - Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal (2002–2005)
Domestic assignments
- Desk officer in the Africa Bureau’s Regional Affairs Office (1985–1987)
- Visa officer in the Visa Office Coordination Division (1985–1989)
- Studied Mandarin Chinese at National Foreign Affairs Training CenterNational Foreign Affairs Training CenterThe George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center is one of several locations that house the Foreign Service Institute , the United States government's training school for members of the U.S. foreign affairs community. It is located at Arlington Hall in Arlington, Virginia.-External...
(NFATC) (1989) and in TaipeiTaipeiTaipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
(1990) - Deputy Director of Consular Training at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC) (1994–1996)
- Legislative Management Officer (1996–1998)
- Director of the Visa Office Coordination Division (1998–2000)
Awards
- Superior Honor Award for leadership as Consul General in Montreal
- Meritorious Honor Award for outstanding managerial and professional skills in Guangzhou, China
- Superior Honor Award for outstanding leadership and performance as Visa Coordination Division Director
Affiliations and activities
- Lifetime membership in the U.S. Tennis Association
- Big Sisters of the Washington, DC Metropolitan area volunteer
- Usher Board Chairman at the Carmody Hills Baptist Church in Seat Pleasant, MarylandSeat Pleasant, MarylandSeat Pleasant is an incorporated city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States immediately east of Washington D.C. The population was 4,885 at the 2000 census. Two state highways run through it — Maryland Route 704 and Maryland Route 214...
- President of the Central College African-American Student Organization (Pella, Iowa)
- Member of service sorority Alpha Delta Epsilon (Pella, Iowa)
Source
- United States Department of State: Biography of Bernadette M. Allen . GaleGale (publisher)Gale is an educational publishing company based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, the United States, in the western suburbs of Detroit. It was part of the Thomson Learning division of the Thomson Corporation, a Canadian company, but became part of Cengage Learning in 2007.The company, formerly known...
Biography In Context. Gale Document Number: GALE|K2021365388