Carol Z. Perez

Carol Zelis Perez is a career Foreign Service Officer, currently serving as the Director General of the Foreign Service. Previously, Perez served as the U.S. Ambassador to Chile from October 2016 to January 2019.

Carol Z. Perez
Director General of the Foreign Service
Incumbent
Assumed office February 1, 2019
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Arnold A. Chacón
United States Ambassador to Chile
In office October 13, 2016[1] – January 31, 2019
President	Barack Obama Donald Trump
Deputy	February 1, 2019
Preceded by	Michael A. Hammer
Succeeded by	Baxter Hunt (acting)
Personal details
Born	Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Children	3
Alma mater	Hiram College George Washington University

Early life and education

Perez was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Marymount High School in nearby Garfield Heights in 1971. She earned a bachelor of arts in political science at Hiram College in 1975 and subsequently a master's degree in health care administration at George Washington University.[2]

Career

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ceremonially swears Perez in as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources in 2019

Perez joined the U.S. State Department in 1987. Most of her assignments have been Management in nature, with early postings as a special assistant in the office of the Under Secretary of State for Management, and as operations officer in the State Department Operations Center. Perez served in Italy, Spain, and in Chile.

In 1994, Perez was made administrative and human relations officer at the U.S. Embassy in Rome. She returned to Washington in 1997 for a series of seventh floor and leadership assignments, first as a supervisory general services officer, deputy executive director in the Executive Secretariat; then the following year as office director in the Secretariat staff office; and beginning in 1999 as deputy executive secretary. She was assigned overseas in 2001.

Two years later, she was reassigned to Washington as Deputy Executive Secretary of the department. Part of her duties were organizing and staffing trips made by Secretary of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. In 2009, Perez was named Consul General in Milan.

Perez returned to Washington in 2011 as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the [[Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. She was named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the bureau in 2013 and helped coordinate anti-drug-trafficking efforts in Haiti, Ukraine and the South China Sea. In January 2015, Perez became Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Human Resources.

In May 10, 2016, Perez was nominated by President Barack Obama to be U.S. Ambassador to Chile.[3] Perez testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 21, 2016,[4] and was confirmed on July 14, 2016.[5][6] Perez is the first ever woman ambassador accredited to Chile.[7]

On July 31, 2018 President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Perez as the Director General of the Foreign Service.[8] On August 1, 2018 her nomination was sent to the United States Senate.[9] She was confirmed by the Senate on a voice vote on January 2, 2019,[10] and sworn in on February 1, 2019.[11]

Personal life

Perez's family at her swearing-in ceremony in 2019

Perez and her husband, Al, have three children, Michael, Caroline and Marisa. In addition to English, Perez speaks Spanish and Italian.

References

1. Bustos, Pablo (October 13, 2016). "¿Quién es Carol Perez, la primera mujer embajadora de Estados Unidos en Chile?". Retrieved November 18, 2016.
2. "U.S. Ambassador to Chile: Who Is Carol Z. Perez?". September 10, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
3. "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts". White House. May 10, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
4. "Statement of Carol Perez, Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Chile" (PDF). United States Senate. June 21, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
5. "PN1423 — Carol Z. Perez — Department of State". United States Congress. July 14, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
6. Lardner, Richard (July 15, 2016). "Senate confirms US ambassadors to 6 countries". Associated Press. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
7. McIntyre, Michael (September 30, 2016). "Garfield Heights native Carol Z. Perez (known then as Carol Zelis) to be sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Chile". Retrieved November 18, 2016.
8. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration Posts". The White House. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
9. "Three Nominations Sent to the Senate Today". The White House. August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
10. "PN2374 - Nomination of Carol Z. Perez for Department of State, 115th Congress (2017-2018)". www.congress.gov. January 2, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
11. "Ambassador Carol Z. Perez Sworn in as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources". U.S. Department of State. February 4, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.

External links

• Official site

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Michael A. Hammer	U.S. Ambassador to Chile 2016–2019	Vacant
Preceded by Arnold Chacón	Director General of the Foreign Service 2019–present	Incumbent