Cynthia Stroum (born 1950) is an American diplomat and political donor who served as the

United States Ambassador to Luxembourg The United States ambassador to Luxembourg oversees the U.S. Embassy in that country. They supervise the embassy staff in the conduct of diplomatic relations with the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and coordination of the activities of U.S. Governm ...

from December 7, 2009 to January 31, 2011.

Background and education

Stroum was born to a wealthy, well-known philanthropic

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

. She received a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in Public Relations and Journalism from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

, and worked in the TV and film industries. She was a major donor to

Maria Cantwell Maria Ellen Cantwell (; born October 13, 1958) is an American politician who has been the junior United States senator from Washington since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, she served in the Washington House of Representatives from 19 ...

and

Patty Murray Patricia Lynn Murray (, October 11, 1950) is an American politician serving in her sixth term as a United States senator from Washington (state), Washington, beginning her tenure in 1993, and is the state's Seniority in the United States Senate, ...

from her home state of

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, and to the

Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign Barack Obama, then junior United States senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for president of the United States on February 10, 2007, in Springfield, Illinois. After winning a majority of delegates in the Democratic primaries of 2008, ...

Management of Embassy Luxembourg controversy

Inspectors from the State Department Inspector General's office visited the

Embassy of the United States, Luxembourg The Embassy of the United States of America in Luxembourg City is the diplomatic mission on the United States in Luxembourg. Since 1944, following the End of World War II in Europe, liberation of Luxembourg in World War II, both the embassy and ...

in October and November 2010. According to their report, released two weeks after Stroum announced her resignation, her "confrontational management style, chronic gaps in senior and other staffing caused by curtailments, and the absence of a sense of direction have brought major elements of Embassy Luxembourg to a state of dysfunction." The report also criticized Stroum for spending excessive time supervising the repair of the ambassador's residence and for obtaining an improper reimbursement for the purchase of a mattress.talkingpointsmemo.com, February 4, 2011
/ref> In addition, there were apparently large unwarranted purchases made for wine and liqueur according to an article in ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' on February 4, 2011.

References

External links

US Embassy in Luxembourg
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stroum, Cynthia 1950 births Living people Ambassadors of the United States to Luxembourg People from Seattle USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism alumni American women ambassadors 21st-century American diplomats 21st-century American women