US Appoints Temporary Whitman’s Replacement: Who Is Marc Dillard?
President Joe Biden’s administration has chosen Marc Dillard as the United States Ambassador to Kenya on an acting basis until a suitable replacement is announced.
To all friends I have made in Kenya and at @USEmbassyKenya, I say asante sana as I end my tour of duty. Kwaherini Wakenya! pic.twitter.com/lu11cghnbq
— Chargé d’Affaires Marc Dillard (@USAmbKenya) November 22, 2024
Former US Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, said in a brief statement on Saturday, November 23, that the US Embassy in Kenya would now be led by Dillard until another ambassador is chosen by new American President Donald Trump.
“It has been an honour to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya for the past two years. As I depart, please join me in welcoming career diplomat Marc Dillard who will lead the embassy as Chargé d’Affaires,” Meg Whitman announced.
It has been an honor to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya for the past two years. As I depart, please join me in welcoming career diplomat Marc Dillard who will lead the embassy as Chargé d’Affaires. You will be hearing from him soon on this account. – Ambassador Meg Whitman
— Chargé d’Affaires Marc Dillard (@USAmbKenya) November 23, 2024
Who Is Marc Dillard?
Marc Dillard, a member of the Senior Foreign Service, previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Nairobi from August 2022 until his current appointment to replace Meg Whitman.
Since joining the US State Department in 1998, Dillard has held a variety of positions. In 2019, he was named Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Budapest until 2022.
Other past positions include Director of the Office of Economic Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs and Counsellor for Political and Economic Affairs in Sofia, Bulgaria.
He has also worked in Malawi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Japan, and Korea as a Senior Watch Officer in the State Department’s Operations Center.
Dillard received a bachelor’s degree in history from Duke University in the United States and a PhD in political economy and public policy from the University of Southern California.
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Before entering the US State Department, Dillard worked as a private-sector consultant, taught economics at the university level, and received numerous State Department Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards.
Ambassador Dillard is married to Julia Dillard, a Foreign Service Officer, and together they have two children.
On November 13, Meg Whitman publicly announced her resignation as ambassador. Whitman announced her retirement and disclosed that she had already sent her resignation letter to US President Joe Biden.
Whitman went on to say that her work as US ambassador was an “honour and privilege” and that her tenure allowed the US to improve its partnership with Kenya.
US Appoints Temporary Whitman’s Replacement: Who Is Marc Dillard?
