White House Nominates Jean Elizabeth Manes As Next Ambassador To Colombia

Tuesday, US President Joe Biden announced several foreign service nominations, including Jean Elizabeth Manes as the “Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of the Colombia.” Manes and other nominees must be confirmed by the US Senate before they can assume their postings.

According to the White House:

Jean Elizabeth Manes, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, currently serves as Civilian Deputy to the Commander and Senior Foreign Policy Advisor, U.S. Southern Command, a position she has held since 2019. Previously, Manes served as U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador from 2016 to 2019. She has served domestically at the U.S. Department of State as Principal Deputy Coordinator for the Bureau of International Information Programs and as Director of Resources for the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

Her overseas assignments include Public Affairs Officer in Afghanistan; Principal Officer in the Azores, Portugal; and assignments in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Syria. She is the recipient of a Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, five Senior Foreign Service Performance Awards, multiple Superior Honor Awards, was named Public Diplomacy Professional of the Year and was the recipient of the Lois Roth Award for Excellence in Education and Cultural Diplomacy.

A native of Florida, Manes speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese. She has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from American University in Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Policy from Liberty University in Virginia.

Headline photo: Then US Ambassador in El Salvador, Jean Elizabeth Manes at a Beyond the Horizon 2018 school construction site in the area of Zacatecoluca, El Salvador, June 15, 2018. The original school building was cluttered with debris such as scrap metal, wood and trash. The 15th of June is the day that is officially recognized by both governments as the day of US and Salvadoran friendship. (US Army photo by Sgt. Walter H. Lowell)