Linda Thomas-Greenfield
Career Foreign Service Officer and Africa specialist who served as ambassador to Liberia, Director General of the Foreign Service, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Service Record
| Born | November 22, 1952, Baker, Louisiana |
|---|---|
| Education | B.A., Louisiana State University, 1974; M.P.A., University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1975 |
| Entered Foreign Service | 1982 |
| Overseas posts | Switzerland (U.S. Mission to the UN), Pakistan, Kenya, The Gambia, Nigeria, Jamaica |
| Deputy Assistant Secretary, Population, Refugees and Migration | 2004 – 2006 |
| Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, African Affairs | 2006 – 2008 |
| Ambassador to Liberia | 2008 – 2012 |
| Director General of the Foreign Service | 2012 – 2013 |
| Assistant Secretary of State, African Affairs | 2013 – 2017 |
| Ambassador to the United Nations | 2021 – 2025 |
Overview
Linda Thomas-Greenfield spent 35 years in the Foreign Service, most of it devoted to Africa, before representing the United States at the United Nations.
Early Life and Education
Born in Baker, Louisiana, one of eight children, she graduated from high school in Zachary in 1970. She earned her bachelor's degree at Louisiana State University and a master's in public administration from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and taught political science at Bucknell University before joining the State Department.
Career
She entered the Foreign Service in 1982 and served in Switzerland, Pakistan, Kenya, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Jamaica. In Washington she served as a deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration and as principal deputy assistant secretary for African affairs.
Senior Leadership
She was ambassador to Liberia from 2008 to 2012, then Director General of the Foreign Service, and from 2013 to 2017 Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. After a period in academia and the private sector, she was confirmed in 2021 as the 31st U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, serving until 2025 and presiding over the Security Council on several occasions.
Legacy
Her career traces one of the clearest arcs in the modern Service: from junior officer in Africa to the nation's seat at the United Nations Security Council.
Recognition
Envoys of Record recognizes Linda Thomas-Greenfield as a Distinguished Ambassador, whose career set the standard for American diplomacy in its era.