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 Ghana
CANDIDATE: Stephanie Sanders Sullivan
Stephanie Sanders Sullivan, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister Counselor, is a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs at the Department of State, who has been the Bureau’s Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary since May 2017. She has served as a U.S. Ambassador and as Chief of Staff for the Deputy Secretary of State. A seasoned Africa hand, she was previously posted in Accra as political chief, and has first-hand familiarity with issues in Ghana and the region. Prior collaboration with USAID and the U.S. military will enable her to promote good governance, economic development, and regional security. She has over 30 years of Foreign Service experience, first-rate leadership and management skills, and policy coordination abilities that will serve her well as U.S. Ambassador to Ghana.
Previously, Ms. Sullivan served as Ambassador to the Republic of Congo (2013-2017); Executive Assistant to the Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources (2011-2013); Managing Director of the Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing, and Innovation (2010-2011); Director of the Operations Center (2008-2010); Management Officer in the Joint Executive Office for the European and International Organizations Affairs Bureaus (2006-2008); Deputy Director (2003-2005) and Senior Watch Officer (2002-2003) in the Operations Center; Post Management Officer in the Bureau of African Affairs (2001-2002); Political Chief in Accra, Ghana (1997-2001); and Area Management Officer in the Office of Foreign Buildings Operations (1993-1994). She also served in Yaounde and Douala, Cameroon; as a Desk Officer in the Bureau of African Affairs; as Watch Officer in the Operations Center; and as Duty Officer at the White House Situation Room. Before the Foreign Service, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Zaire) for three years. She later served as Chief of Operations for the Peace Corps’ Africa Region (1994-1996).
Ms. Sullivan earned a B.A. at Brown University and a M.S. at the National Defense University. She is the recipient of 20 Department of State awards and a Sustained Superior Performance Award from the Peace Corps. Ms. Sullivan speaks French, Lingala, and basic Spanish.