Peter H. Vrooman Explained

Peter H. Vrooman
Office1:United States Ambassador to Mozambique
President1:Joe Biden
Term Start1:March 3, 2022
Predecessor1:Dennis Walter Hearne
Office2:United States Ambassador to Rwanda
President2:Donald Trump
Joe Biden
Term Start2:April 7, 2018
Term End2:January 24, 2022
Predecessor2:Erica Barks-Ruggles
Successor2:Eric W. Kneedler
Birth Date:1 March 1966
Birth Place:Canton, New York, U.S.
Spouse:Johnette Iris Stubbs
Children:2
Alma Mater:Harvard College (BA)
Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (MS)

Peter Hendrick Vrooman (born March 1, 1966)[1] is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Mozambique since 2022. He previously served as the United States ambassador to Rwanda from 2018 to 2022.[2]

Education

Vrooman received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies from Harvard College. He received his Master of Science degree from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.[3]

Career

Vrooman is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, with the rank of minister-counselor serving since 1991. He previously served as the U.S. ambassador to Rwanda. Vrooman also served as the Chargé d’Affaires and deputy chief of mission of the U.S. embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Other assignments include the spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in New Delhi; director for Iraq on the staff of the White House National Security Council in Washington, D.C.; and deputy political counselor in Tel Aviv and at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. U.S. embassy assignments include Baghdad, Beirut, and Djibouti, as well as the U.S. Liaison Office in Mogadishu, Somalia. Vrooman was a watch officer in the Department of State Operations Center and the desk officer for Algeria in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he worked as the special assistant to the President of the American University in Cairo.

United States ambassador to Rwanda

On October 30, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Vrooman to serve as the United States ambassador to Rwanda.[4] Hearings on his nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on December 19, 2017. The committee reported his nomination favorably on February 7, 2018. On February 15, 2018, the Senate confirmed his nomination by voice vote.[5] Vrooman's mission ended around January 24, 2022.[6]

United States ambassador to Mozambique

On July 27, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Vrooman to be the next United States ambassador to Mozambique.[7] His nomination was sent to the Senate the following day.[8] The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held hearings on his nomination on October 20, 2021. The committee reported his nomination favorably on November 3, 2021. The entire Senate confirmed his nomination on December 18, 2021 by voice vote.[9] He was sworn into office on February 11, 2022.[10] He presented his credentials to President Filipe Nyusi on March 3, 2022.[11]

Personal life

Vrooman is a native of New York. He is married to Johnette Iris Stubbs, a photographer, and they have a son and a daughter. He speaks Arabic and French.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda: Who Is Peter Vrooman?. November 15, 2017. allgov.com. August 7, 2019 . en.
  2. Web site: Ambassador Peter H. Vrooman. State Department. August 7, 2019. en. June 2, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170602093129/https://rw.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/our-ambassador/. dead.
  3. Web site: Peter Vrooman. LinkedIn. August 7, 2019. en.
  4. Web site: Eleven Nominations Sent to the Senate Today. October 30, 2017. August 7, 2019 . National Archives. whitehouse.gov. en.
  5. Web site: PN1185 — Peter Hendrick Vrooman — Department of State. February 15, 2018. . August 7, 2019. en.
  6. 1485622354663383047 . UrugwiroVillage . This afternoon at Urugwiro Village, President Kagame received outgoing @USAmbRwanda, Ambassador Peter Vrooman for a farewell meeting. . January 24, 2022 . March 1, 2022.
  7. Web site: 2021-07-27. President Biden Announces Nine Key Nominations. 2021-07-28. The White House. en-US.
  8. Nominations Sent to the Senate . July 28, 2021 . The White House . Washington, D.C. . July 29, 2021.
  9. Web site: December 18, 2021 . PN939 - Nomination of Peter Hendrick Vrooman for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022) . January 8, 2022 . www.congress.gov.
  10. 1492138953247531015 . USAmbMoz . Good afternoon, everyone! I am so proud to have been sworn in this morning as the US Ambassador to Mozambique. I am honored to begin this new adventure. Next stop - Maputo! See you soon! . February 11, 2022 . March 1, 2022.
  11. Web site: Ambassador Peter Hendrick Vrooman. United States Department of State. 2022-03-04.