Dennis B. Hankins Explained

Dennis B. Hankins
Office:United States Ambassador to Haiti
President:Joe Biden
Term Start:May 3, 2024[1]
Predecessor:Michele J. Sison (2021)
Office1:United States Ambassador to Mali
President1:Donald Trump
Joe Biden
Term Start1:March 15, 2019
Term End1:September 26, 2022[2]
Predecessor1:Paul Folmsbee
Successor1:Rachna Korhonen
Office2:United States Ambassador to Guinea
President2:Barack Obama
Donald Trump
Term Start2:November 25, 2015
Term End2:January 29, 2019
Predecessor2:Alexander M. Laskaris
Successor2:Simon Henshaw
Spouse:Mira Hankins
Children:Danu Hankins
Alma Mater:Georgetown University,
National War College

Dennis Bruce Hankins[3] (born 1959[4]) is an American diplomat who is serving as American Ambassador to Haiti. He previously served as the United States Ambassador to Mali between 2019 and 2022 and the United States Ambassador to Guinea between 2015 and 2019.

Early life and education

Hankins earned a B.S.F.S. at Georgetown University and an M.S. at the National War College.

Consular career

Hankins joined the Foreign Service in 1984. His first overseas postings were as vice-consul in Recife, Brazil and then in the U.S. Embassy in Thailand. In 1989, Hankins was posted to Sudan and then in 1992, given the job of consul in Haiti.[5]

Four years later, Hankins was again posted to Africa to become the political and economic counselor in the Kinshasa embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, working there during the First Congo War and, for a lesser time, the Second Congo War. He moved to be the political and economic counselor in Lisbon, Portugal in 1999, spending just two years in the job before returning to Africa to be the deputy chief of mission in Maputo, Mozambique.[6]

In 2004, Hankins was appointed consul general in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia but was recalled to Washington to become the deputy director of the Office of Peacekeeping in the Bureau of International Organizations.[7] [8] He returned to Africa in 2007 to be deputy chief of mission in Nouakchott, Mauritania and, in 2010, returned to Khartoum, Sudan as the deputy chief of mission.[9]

Ambassadorships

Ambassador to Guinea

In 2012, Hankins was given the post of consul general in Sao Paulo, Brazil, staying in the post until his nomination as United States Ambassador to Guinea by President Obama on July 8, 2015.[10] He was confirmed by the Senate on October 22 the same year.[11]

Ambassador to Mali

On 13 August 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Hankins to be the U.S. Ambassador to Mali.[12] The nomination was tendered to the Senate on August 16, 2018, and he was confirmed on January 2, 2019.[13] He presented his credentials to President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta on March 15, 2019.[14]

Ambassador to Haiti

On May 19, 2023, President Joe Biden nominated Hankins to be the next ambassador to Haiti.[15] His nomination was reported by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 20, 2023 and confirmed by the full Senate on March 14, 2024.[16] He arrived in Haiti on March 26, 2024.[17] He presented his credentials on May 3, 2024.[18]

Personal life

Hankins has a wife, Mira, and a son, Danu, who works for the U.S. Navy. He speaks French, Portuguese, and Indonesian.

References

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Notes and References

  1. https://twitter.com/USEmbassyHaiti/status/1786478588541174204?t=-T1WPomj4rBAPkx0zuGewQ&s=19
  2. Web site: At the end of the mission in Mali: His Excellency Dennis B. Hankins chose ICER-Mali for his last visit . 26 September 2022 .
  3. Web site: Statement of Dennis Bruce Hankins . U.S. Senate . 26 September 2018 . 15 March 2019.
  4. Web site: Dennis B. Hankins (1959–) . U.S. Department of State . 15 March 2019.
  5. Web site: Straehley . Steve . U.S. Ambassador to Guinea: Who Is Dennis Hankins? . AllGov . 17 December 2018.
  6. Web site: Dennis B. Hankins . U.S. Department of State . 17 December 2018.
  7. Web site: Ambassador Dennis Hankins . U.S. Embassy in Guinea . 17 December 2018 . 12 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181212173538/https://gn.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/our-ambassador/ . dead .
  8. Web site: Dennis B. Hankins U.S. Ambassador to Mali . U.S. Embassy in Mali . 6 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200806102929/https://ml.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/our-ambassador/ . 6 August 2020.
  9. Web site: Dennis Hankins . LinkedIn . 17 December 2018.
  10. Web site: PN631 — Dennis B. Hankins — Department of State . Congress.gov . 17 December 2018.
  11. Web site: BHS grad new U.S. Ambassador to Guinea . The Bemidji Pioneer . 23 October 2015 . 17 December 2018 .
  12. Web site: President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts . . . 17 December 2018.
  13. Web site: PN2390 — Dennis B. Hankins — Department of State . Congress.gov . 17 December 2018.
  14. Web site: U.S. Ambassador Dennis B. Hankins Presents Credentials to President Keïta . U.S. Embassy in Mali . 19 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200806103248/https://ml.usembassy.gov/u-s-ambassador-dennis-b-hankins-presents-credentials-to-president-keita/ . 6 August 2020.
  15. Web site: President Biden Announces Key Nominees . The White House . 3 June 2023 . 19 May 2023.
  16. Web site: PN675 — Dennis B. Hankins — Department of State 118th Congress (2023-2024) . US Congress . 3 June 2023.
  17. U.S. Embassy Haiti . USEmbassyHaiti . 1774912844036772069 . 1 April 2024 . Ambassador Hankins arrived in Haiti on Tuesday March 26. He is excited to lead the U.S. government efforts to help Haiti address its security concerns..
  18. https://twitter.com/USEmbassyHaiti/status/1786478588541174204?t=-T1WPomj4rBAPkx0zuGewQ&s=19