US Senate confirms Doria Rosen to be US Ambassador to FSM
June 29, 2012
Washington D.C.—The United States Senate today confirmed the nomination of Dorothea-Maria Rosen to be the next United States Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia. She will replace Ambassador Peter Prahar who will be leaving the position in early August.
This will be Ambassador-designate Rosen’s first ambassadorship.
According to her testimony in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on May 16, 2012 Rosen’s early background was in education. She later studied law and says that she remains interested in education and rule of law issues. After admission to the New York State Bar joined the U.S. Army. She said that as a Judge Advocate General Captain she served in the International Law Division at Headquarters US Army Europe in Heidelberg, Germany. While she was in Germany she passed the Foreign Service Exam and has been a member of the US Foreign Service since 1981.
Currently Rosen is Diplomat in Residence for the Midwest based in Chicago, Illinois.
“If confirmed,” she said in her testimony in front of the committee, “I will seek to apply my interagency experience, which will be critically important in the FSM, where so many domestic federal agencies operate side by side with foreign affairs and defense colleagues.”
“If confirmed, I will work with the FSM to help attain its Compact development goals; these include a significant increase in the standard of living of the citizens of the FSM and a reduction in their economy’s dependence on public sector employment funded by foreign contributions. To reach those goals I will seek to improve the business climate, fiscal policies, and capacity to govern, while reducing dependence on foreign assistance. I will also seek to ensure that U.S. assistance programs are implemented consistent with well-informed assessments from those on the ground. I will continue to work with others who are concerned with the economic impact of Compact State migrants on U.S. states and territories.
“If confirmed, I will coordinate closely with the Department of the Interior, which has primary responsibility for implementing the Compact’s economic provisions. I also look forward to working with the Department of Defense’s Pacific Command on continued security and humanitarian assistance activities in the FSM. I will also continue our close cooperation with the United States Coast Guard to implement the Shiprider agreement with FSM and other maritime security arrangements. These activities strengthen the bonds of friendship that undergird our entire relationship with the FSM. I will also work to ensure that U.S. assistance is visible and recognized, and complements the efforts of other regional donors.
“If confirmed, my overarching goal will be to strengthen the positive relationship our two countries have enjoyed for decades and to support the people and government of the FSM as they work towards a more prosperous future.
“In closing, I can think of no greater honor or opportunity than to lead the U.S. Mission in the Federated States of Micronesia and work with our valued Micronesian friends and allies on these and other important issues. It is a time of renewed focus on our role in the Pacific and I am excited to be part of it. If confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to working with this Committee, the Congress, and others in the U.S. government who seek to invigorate our relationship with Micronesia, across a range of interests relating to security, good governance, economic and budgetary self-reliance, health, education, and environmental protection. I believe that coordination between the executive and legislative branches will be important to this endeavor.”
The biography released by the White house says:
Dorothea-Maria (Doria) Rosen, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently serves as the Diplomat-in-Residence for the Midwest region, based out of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to this position, she was the Deputy Principal Officer in Frankfurt, Germany. From 2004 to 2008, Ms. Rosen served as the Consul General in Bern, Switzerland. From 2001 to 2004, she was Deputy Chief of Mission in Reykjavik, Iceland. Other overseas positions include: Visa Branch Chief in Frankfurt, Germany (1996-1999); Nonimmigrant Visa Chief in Manila, Philippines (1994-1996); Political Military Officer in Berlin, Germany (1991-1994); Consular Officer in Accra, Ghana (1989-1991); Deputy Chief Immigrant Visa Section in Seoul, South Korea (1988-1989); and Vice Consul in Stuttgart, Germany (1983-1986) and Bucharest, Romania (1981-1983). In Washington, Ms. Rosen has served as Director of the Office of Public and Diplomatic Liaison in the Bureau of Consular Affairs (1999-2001) and as an analyst in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (1986-1988). Prior to entering the Foreign Service, Ms. Rosen served as an Army Reservist from 1979 to 1981. From 1976 to 1979, she served on active duty in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in Heidelberg, Germany. She holds an A.B. from Vassar College and a J.D. from Hofstra University Law School.
