UNITED STATES SENATE
SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination: Certificate of
Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service
Act, Section 304(a)(4)
POST: Republic of the Marshall Islands
CANDIDATE: Laura M. Stone
Laura M. Stone, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, currently serves as the Deputy Coordinator of the Secretary of State’s Office of COVID Response and Health Security. She previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Asia overseeing U.S. policy towards India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Bhutan; in the office of the Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth where she coordinated efforts to counter Chinese malign economic influence; and as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mongolia. Prior to that she worked as the Director of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs; Director of the Economic Policy Office in the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs; and Economic Counselor in Hanoi, Vietnam. Stone also served three tours in Beijing as well as tours in Bangkok, Tokyo, the Public Affairs Bureau, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. Stone’s deep background in Asian, Southeast Asian and Pacific Affairs, policy and management leadership, and demonstrated ability to lead interagency teams, coupled with thirty-two years of Foreign Service experience make her a well-qualified candidate for Ambassador to the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Stone is the recipient of numerous State Department awards, including the Cordell Hull Award for Economic Achievement by a Senior Officer and four Senior Foreign Service Performance Awards. Stone holds an M.Phil. in International Relations from Oxford University and a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University. She speaks Chinese.