Vernelle Trim FitzPatrick is an American diplomat who is serving as the

United States ambassador to Gabon This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Gabon. Gabon had been an overseas territory of France since 1910. At that time it became part of French Equatorial Africa, which included Middle Congo (now Republic of the Congo), Chad, and O ...

Early life and education

FitzPatrick earned her bachelor's degree from

Davidson College Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson, who was killed at the nearby Battle of Cowan� ...

and her master's degree from

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

in Washington, D.C.

Career

FitzPatrick is a career member of the

Senior Foreign Service The Senior Foreign Service (SFS) comprises the top four ranks of the United States Foreign Service. These ranks were created by the Foreign Service Act of 1980 and Executive Order 12293 in order to provide the Foreign Service with senior grades equ ...

, with the rank of Counselor. Currently, she serves as Office Director for the Office of Assistance to Africa in the

Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) is a bureau within the United States Department of State. It has primary responsibility for formulating policies on population, refugees, and migration, and for administering U.S. refugee ...

at the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

in Washington, D.C. Previously, FitzPatrick served as the Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Yaoundé, Cameroon and before this assignment, she served as Acting Deputy Director for the Office of Central African Affairs in the Bureau of African Affairs at the State Department. She also has served as deputy director for the Office of West African Affairs in the Bureau of African Affairs. FitzPatrick has also served as an Ethiopia Desk Officer in the Office of East African Affairs and held positions as the Political Section Chief at the U.S. Embassy in

Accra, Ghana Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

, as well as a Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

U.S. ambassadorship nomination

On February 27, 2023, President Joe Biden nominated FitzPatrick to be the next ambassador to Gabon. Hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 21, 2023. On July 13, 2023, her nomination was favorably reported out of committee. On November 29, 2023, her nomination was confirmed by

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

voice vote In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin ''viva voce'', meaning "live voice") or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding vo ...

. She was sworn into office on January 12, 2024. She arrived in Gabon on January 16, 2024. She presented her credentials to Transitional

President of Gabon The president of Gabon is the head of state of Gabon. A total of three people have served as president (not counting two acting presidents) since the post was formed in 1960. Description of the office Election The president of the republic is ...

Brice Oligui on January 26, 2024.

Personal life

Her languages include

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and Spanish.

Works and Events

FitzPatrick participated in a discussion roundtable that centered around women refugees in Africa and how to promote peace.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:FitzPatrick, Vernelle Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century American diplomats Ambassadors of the United States to Gabon American women ambassadors Davidson College alumni George Washington University alumni United States Department of State officials United States Foreign Service personnel