REPORT FOR THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination: Certificate of Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4)
POST: Republic of Haiti
CANDIDATE: Michele J. Sison
Michele J. Sison, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Career Minister, currently serves as Deputy Permanent Representative at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, a Senate-confirmed position with the rank of Ambassador. In a career that has spanned over three decades, Ms. Sison has been a leader, policy maker, and manager of complex programs in South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa as well as in Washington, D.C. A three-time Ambassador overseas (the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Sri Lanka), Ms. Sison has guided diverse interagency teams to advance our nation’s interests while balancing the complex security concerns our Embassies face in today’s world. In addition to her strong record of operational effectiveness in the field, Ms. Sison has brought her extensive knowledge and keen understanding of U.S. government policies and priorities to bear as a policy maker, both in her current role at the United Nations but also as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South Asian Affairs in the State Department. Her demonstrated leadership and management experience, wide-ranging professional expertise, and earlier service in Haiti make her an excellent choice to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti.
Previously, Ms. Sison held overseas assignments as Assistant Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq; Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy Islamabad, Pakistan; Consul General/Principal Officer in Chennai, India; and Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire . She has also served as Director of the Office of Career Development and Assignments in the State Department’s Bureau of Human Resources. Earlier in her career, Ms. Sison served at the U.S. Embassies in Togo, Benin, and Cameroon as well as at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Ms. Sison earned a B.A. from Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts (1981). She is the recipient of over two dozen notable State Department Awards, including the Department’s Ambassadorial Award for anti-Trafficking in Persons accomplishments and the Under Secretary’s Award for Non-Proliferation and International Security. She is also the recipient of a U.S. Presidential Distinguished Service Award (2013), U.S. Presidential Meritorious Service Award (2007), and the U.S. Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal (2011). She speaks French, Haitian Creole and some Arabic.