By Our Reporter
As Scott H. DeLisi bids his last farewell to the Ugandan community having served as US Ambassador to Uganda since 2012, there’s a lady that’s been nominated to sit in the big chair. It’s none other than Deborah. R. Malac.
Who really is Deborah R. Malac, the new US Ambassador to Uganda?
U.S. Ambassador Deborah R. Malac is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, who has served with the Department of State since 1981.
President Barack Obama nominated Ms. Malac as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia on May 9, 2012, and her nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 26.
Ms. Malac previously served as the Director of the Office of East African Affairs.
Prior to this position, she was the Director of the Mid-Level Division in the Office of Career Development and Assignments in the Bureau of Human Resources. Ms. Malac also previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Before moving to Addis, Ms. Malac was Deputy Director in the Office of East African Affairs; Deputy Director in the Office of Agricultural, Biotechnology and Textiles Trade Affairs and Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal.
She has also served as a political officer in Bangkok, Thailand and Pretoria, South Africa; Desk Officer for South Africa and Laos; Officer-in-Charge of the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Program in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs; and as a consular/economic officer in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Ms. Malac holds a B.A. in International Studies (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from Furman University (1977), a M.A. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia (1981), a M.S. in National Resources Strategy (Distinguished Graduate) from the National Defense University (2002), and spent a year studying International Law at the University of Basel on a post-graduate fellowship under the auspices of the Fulbright Foundation.
She speaks French, German and Thai. Ms. Malac is married and has three children.