United States Ambassador to Cape Verde

The United States recognized Cape Verde and commissioned its first ambassador Melissa F. Wells in 1976. Ambassador Wells was concurrently accredited to Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde while resident at Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. In 1980, an embassy was established in the capital Praia with a chargé d’affaires managing the business of the embassy.

Ambassadors

*Note: Until 1980 one ambassador, resident at Bissau, was concurrently commissioned to Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.
*Melissa F. Wells – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: September 16, 1976
**Presented credentials: November 18, 1976
**Terminated mission: Left post, March 23, 1977
*Edward Marks – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: September 15, 1977
**Presented credentials: October 18, 1977
**Terminated mission: Left post, July 11, 1980
*Note: Embassy Praia was established January 28, 1978 with Howard McGowan as Chargé d’Affaires "ad interim". The ambassador remained in Bissau.
*Peter Jon de Vos – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: September 5, 1980
**Presented credentials: September 24, 1980
**Terminated mission: Left Bissau, March 30, 1983
*Note: In 1983 the first ambassador was appointed solely accredited to Cape Verde.
*John Melvin Yates – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: March 18, 1983
**Presented credentials: April 26, 1983
**Terminated mission: Left post, May 24, 1986
*Vernon Dubois Penner, Jr. – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 16, 1986
**Presented credentials: July 15, 1986
**Terminated mission: Left post, November 21, 1989
*Francis Terry McNamara – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: November 21, 1989
**Presented credentials: December 23, 1989
**Terminated mission: Left post, December 31, 1992
*Joseph Monroe Segars – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: July 14, 1992
**Presented credentials: March 24, 1993
**Terminated mission: Left post, March 17, 1996
*Lawrence Neal Benedict – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 6, 1996
**Presented credentials: July 30, 1996
**Terminated mission: Left post August 11, 1999
*Michael D. Metelits – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: July 7, 1999
**Presented credentials: September 15, 1999
**Terminated mission: Left post July 24, 2002
*Donald C. Johnson – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: October 3, 2002
**Presented credentials: November 21, 2002
**Terminated mission: Left post, April 4, 2005
*Roger D. Pierce – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 21, 2005
**Presented credentials: September 27, 2005
**Terminated mission: "Incumbent"

References

*History of Cape Verde
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2835.htm U.S. Dep’t of State: Background Notes on Cape Verde]
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/po/com/10448.htm U.S. Dep’t of State: U.S. Ambassadors to Cape Verde]
*StateDept

ee also

*Ambassadors from the United States
*Foreign relations of Cape Verde

External links

* [http://praia.usembassy.gov/ U.S. Embassy in Praia]