Preceded by Christopher McMullen | Spouse(s) Robert La Lime | |
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President Barack ObamaDonald Trump Alma mater Georgetown UniversityNational Defense University Education | ||
Helen Meagher La Lime (born 1951) is a diplomat and United States Ambassador to Angola. She was nominated by President Obama on September 10, 2013, and confirmed by the Senate. Her term began May 15, 2014.
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Early life and education
Born Helen R. Meagher, she is one of three daughters of Ray Meagher, a Texaco employee, and his wife Teresa. She lived in Angola during part of her childhood because of her father's work assignment there with Texaco. She was an undergraduate at Georgetown University, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in 1973. She was at the National War College in Washington, D.C. from 199 to 1996, and In 1996 she was awarded a master of science degree at the National Defense University.
Career
La Lime began her career teaching English in Europe. During that time she lived in France, Portugal and the Netherlands. She began her foreign service career when she joined the U.S. State Department in 1980, and has held a variety of policy and leadership roles in the U.S., Europe and Africa. Her first assignments brought her to European locations, including Germany, Poland and Switzerland.
From 1993 to 1995 La Lime worked at the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, the U.S. government's main outreach arm to the United Nations and many other international organizations.
Her next assignments were mainly in Africa. She worked at the embassy in Chad from 1996 to 1999. Her next two assignments were at the Office of Central African Affairs, first as deputy director and then as director. After she served in Morocco for two years, President George W. Bush nominated her to be ambassador to Mozambique, where she served from April 2003 to December 2006. She then served in two diplomatic roles in South Africa from 2006 to 2011.
Just prior to being nominated for the role of U.S. ambassador to Angola, La Lime was in Germany with the U.S. Africa Command, having earned the rank of Minister Counselor. In that role she was focused on American cooperation with African countries from a military standpoint.
Personal
La Lime is married to Robert La Lime. In addition to English, she speaks French, German, Portuguese, Polish and Spanish.