President Barack Obama Preceded by Patricia Butenis Preceded by Patricia Butenis | Name Michele Sison President Barack Obama Role Foreign minister | |
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Education Wellesley College, London School of Economics and Political Science | ||
Succeeded by Andrew Mann (Acting) Succeeded by Andrew Mann (Acting) | ||
Michele Jean Sison (born May 27, 1959 in Washington, D.C.) is the United States Deputy Representative to the United Nations and a career member of the United States Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor. In July 2017, Sison was appointed to the position of US Ambassador to Haiti. Among the major issues facing her in her new role will be navigating a just response by the United Nations to victims of a cholera epidemic the organization started in October 2010. She will also be confronted with the U.S. government's pending decision on whether or not to extend Temporary Protected Status to Haitian immigrants who were in the U.S. at the time of the massive earthquake in Port-au-Prince in January 2010. Sison earned her B.A. in Political Science from Wellesley College and also studied at the London School of Economics (LSE). Ambassador Sison has two daughters.
Sison's overseas assignments include service as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires, i.e. at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan (1999–2002) and as consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, India (1996–1999). She also served at the U.S. Missions in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (1993–1996); Douala, Cameroon (1991–1993); Cotonou, Benin (1988–1991); Lomé, Togo (1984–1988); and Port-au-Prince, Haiti (1982–1984), as well as in Washington. Ambassador Sison is the recipient of numerous U.S. Department of State awards for exceptional service.
She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, as Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, on May 6, 2004, and sworn in by Secretary of State Powell on July 12, 2004. Prior to her appointment to the UAE, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs, charged with providing broad policy oversight of U.S. relations with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
She also had a short stint as the U.S. Chargés d'affaires a.i. in Lebanon, before her Senate confirmation as U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon on August 1, 2008. Ambassador Sison's assignment in Lebanon ended in August 2010.
She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 29, 2012 as US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives .
On July 8, 2014, President Barack Obama announced the nomination of Sison as Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and Deputy Representative of the United States in the Security Council of the United Nations. She was confirmed by the Senate in a voice vote on November 19, 2014.