Kelly Ann Keiderling-Franz
United States Ambassador to Uruguay
In office
June 23, 2016 – June 29, 2019
PresidentBarack Obama
Donald Trump
Preceded byJulissa Reynoso
Succeeded byKenneth S. George
Personal details
Born1966 (age 57–58)
Dominican Republic
Alma materGeorgetown University
National Defense University

Kelly Ann Keiderling-Franz (born 1966) is an American diplomat who served as the United States ambassador to Uruguay from 2016 to 2019[1] and has served as Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova since 2022.[2]

Early life and education

Keiderling was born in the Dominican Republic.[3] Keiderling's father was in the U.S. Foreign Service and had met her Bolivian mother on his first international assignment in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Keiderling grew up primarily in Latin America and Portugal.[4]

Keiderling earned a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and later a master's degree from the National War College.

Career

Keiderling with the Intendant of Maldonado Enrique Antía on her visit to that Uruguayan city in 2017.

Keiderling joined the Foreign Service in 1988. Her U.S. assignments included ones as senior Panama desk officer, public diplomacy desk officer for the Caribbean, acting deputy director for Central American Affairs, strategic language issues coordinator in the Bureau of Human Resources, chief of staff in the Iraq Office, and principal deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Her foreign assignments have included serving as deputy chief of mission in Chișinău, Moldova. She has served as public affairs officer in Cuba, Botswana and Kyrgyzstan. Her other international assignments include ones in the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, and Zambia. In 2013, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro expelled Keiderling and two other U.S. diplomats from the country.

She was tapped by President Obama to become United States Ambassador to Uruguay in 2016 and was confirmed by the Senate later that year, on May 17.[5][6] She assumed her role on June 23, 2016.[7] Her appointment as ambassador ended on June 29, 2019.[8]

From 2019 to 2021, Keiderling served as Deputy Commandant and International Affairs Advisor at the US National War College.[9] She assumed her role as Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova in October 2022.

Personal life

Keiderling is married to David Franz, also a foreign service officer, and they have two children. In addition to English, she speaks Spanish, Portuguese, French and Russian, as well as some Italian and Romanian.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 172
  2. ↑ "Kelly Keiderling". www.osce.org. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  3. ↑ Hispanic Heritage: Kelly Keiderling U.S. State Department, September 17, 2014
  4. ↑ Like Father, Like Daughter: An Interview with Kelly Keiderling Global Ties, March 31, 2015
  5. ↑ Congress nominations Archived 2016-05-06 at the Wayback Machine The New York Times, April 28, 2016
  6. ↑ PN1054 — Kelly Keiderling-Franz — Department of State Congressional record, May 17, 2016
  7. ↑ Ambassador Kelly Keiderling, United States Embassy: Montevideo, Uruguay, July 6, 2016 Archived August 17, 2016, at the Wayback Machine accessed July 14, 2016
  8. ↑ "Kelly Keiderling-Franz - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
  9. ↑ "AMB Kelly Keiderling". www.nwc.ndu.edu. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Statement of Kelly Keiderling U.S. Senate record, March 10, 2016
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