| Virginia Palmer | |
| Office: | United States Ambassador to Ghana |
| President: | Joe Biden |
| Term Start: | May 10, 2022 |
| Predecessor: | Stephanie S. Sullivan |
| Office1: | Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources |
| Status1: | Acting |
| President1: | Joe Biden |
| Term Start1: | January 20, 2021 |
| Term End1: | September 7, 2021 |
| Predecessor1: | Francis R. Fannon |
| Successor1: | Harry R. Kamian |
| Office2: | United States Ambassador to Malawi |
| President2: | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Term Start2: | February 27, 2015 |
| Term End2: | June 7, 2019 |
| Predecessor2: | Jeanine Jackson |
| Successor2: | Robert K. Scott |
| Education: | Georgetown University (BS) University of Virginia (MA) |
| Spouse: | Ismail Asmal |
| Children: | 2 |
Virginia Evelyn Palmer[1] (born 1963) is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Ghana since 2022. Palmer is the former United States ambassador to Malawi. She was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate, beginning the assignment in January 2015.
Palmer is the daughter of Becky and Richard Palmer, who was a professor of drama at Washington University in St. Louis. She grew up in University City, Missouri, and graduated from University City High School. She attended Georgetown University and earned a Bachelor of Science in foreign service in 1983. She then earned a Master of Arts at the University of Virginia in 1986.[2] Palmer also attended Washington University in St. Louis.[3]
In 1986, following completion of her graduate studies, Palmer joined the United States Foreign Service. Her early assignments included serving as consular officer at the U.S. Consulate in Calgary, Canada, and as economic officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China. International assignments also include ones in Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Kenya and Vietnam.[1] She was director of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs's Office of Economic Policy from 2004 to 2005. From 2005 to 2008 she served in the Department of State as the deputy coordinator for counterterrorism.
When she was nominated by President Barack Obama to be U.S. ambassador to Malawi, she was deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Pretoria, a position she had held since 2011.[4] In that role, Palmer welcomed Obama as he visited three nations in Africa, when she explained to local media, "This visit highlights the potential of Africa and our President to interact and highlight the role of the 600 American companies that are already operating in South Africa and are creating jobs in South Africa."[5]
Delays in the Senate kept her nomination, as well as those of many other ambassador nominees, from being approved. The American Foreign Service Association expressed concern that delays in Senate proceedings were putting the U.S. at risk because of the absence of ambassadors in countries engaged in "the war on Ebola", the killer virus which dominated the 2014 United States–Africa Leaders Summit.[6]
After assuming her role as Malawi ambassador, Palmer became vocal in defense of civil rights for gay couples in the country.
Palmer was succeeded by Robert Scott on August 7, 2019.[7] From November 4, 2019, she served as principal deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources. Palmer was appointed as the acting assistant secretary of state for energy resources on January 20, 2021, by President Joe Biden.[8]
On July 2, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Palmer to be the next United States Ambassador to Ghana.[9] On July 13, her nomination was sent to the Senate.[10] On September 29, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.[11] On October 19, 2021, her nomination was reported favorably out of committee.[12] On December 18, 2021, her nomination was confirmed in the Senate by voice vote.[13] She presented her credentials to foreign minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on May 10, 2022.[14]
In addition to English, Palmer speaks Chinese and French. Palmer is married to Ismail Asmal, who is also a Foreign Service officer. They have two daughters.[15]