UNITED STATES SENATE
SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination: Certificate of
Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service
Act, Section 304(a)(4)
POST: Republic of El Salvador
CANDIDATE: William H. Duncan
William H. Duncan, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, is currently assigned to the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. He most recently served as a Senior Inspector in the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. Previously, he served as Consul General in Monterrey, Mexico. Prior to that, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at U.S. Embassy Mexico City, Mexico. A Foreign Service officer since 1992, he has also served at U.S. Diplomatic Missions in Asunción, Madrid, Baghdad, Mexico City, Bogotá, San Salvador, and Matamoros. Duncan has devoted most of his career, spanning nearly 30 years, to the Western Hemisphere region. This extensive and substantive regional experience, coupled with his management experience and demonstrated ability to lead large interagency teams, makes him a well-qualified candidate to be the U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador.
Duncan’s domestic assignments include the Offices of Andean Affairs, Mexican Affairs, East African Affairs, and Central American Affairs as well as the State Department Operations Center. Duncan has received numerous performance awards, including a Presidential Meritorious Service award and four Senior Foreign Service Performance awards. A native of Louisiana, Duncan has a Bachelor’s Degree and a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas. He speaks fluent Spanish.