Obama announces US ambassador to Zimbabwe

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
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President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts:

· William Eacho, Ambassador, Republic of Austria

· Judith G. Garber, Ambassador, Republic of Latvia

· David Killion, rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

· James Knight, Ambassador, Republic of Benin

· Karen Kornbluh, Permanent Representative of the U.S. to OECD

· Bruce Oreck, Ambassador, Republic of Finland

· Charles A. Ray, Ambassador, Republic of Zimbabwe

· David Thorne, Ambassador, Italian Republic and the Republic of San Marino

President Obama said, "I’m grateful that these talented and dedicated individuals will be serving my administration and representing our nation abroad. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead to strengthen our relationships in the global community and our standing in the world."

Charles A. Ray, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe
Charles A. Ray, a career member of the Foreign Service since 1983, has been the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Prisoners of War/Missing Personnel Affairs and Director of the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office since 2006. He is responsible to the Secretary of Defense for policy development and oversight of all matters relating to missing personnel. Mr. Ray served in the U.S. Army from 1962 to 1982, retiring with the rank of Major. During his military career, he served at a number of places in the U.S. and abroad, including two tours of duty in Southeast Asia. Since joining the Foreign Service, he has served in China and Thailand, and was Deputy Chief of Mission in Sierra Leone. In 1998, he was appointed as the first U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In 2002, he was sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, where he served until 2005. Mr. Ray served as Diplomat in Residence at the University of Houston for the 2005-2006 academic year. Mr. Ray holds a Bachelors Degree from Benedictine College, a Masters from the University of Southern California, and a Masters in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University.