Anne E. Derse

Anne E. Derse
United States Ambassador to Lithuania
In office
October 14, 2009 – July 1, 2012
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byJohn Cloud
Succeeded byDeborah A. McCarthy
United States Ambassador to Azerbaijan
In office
July 3, 2006 – January 22, 2009
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Barack Obama
Preceded byReno L. Harnish
Succeeded byMatthew Bryza
Personal details
Born1954 (age 69–70)
Lakewood, Ohio
SpouseE. Mason "Hank" Hendrickson
Alma materMacalester College

Anne Elizabeth Derse (born 1954) is an American diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan from 2006 to 2009 and Lithuania from 2009 to 2012.[1]

Education and personal life

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Anne E. Derse completed her Bachelor of Arts in French and Linguistics from Macalester College[2] in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1976 and her Master of Arts in international relations from Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 1981. She also graduated with distinction from the State Department's Economic and Commercial Studies program in 1989.

Derse is married to fellow (now retired) foreign service officer E. Mason "Hank" Hendrickson.[3][4]

Career

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Derse joined the Department of State in 1981, and served in Trinidad and Tobago from 1981 to 1983. From 1985 to 1988 she followed her husband to Singapore, where he served as First Secretary of the United States Embassy in Singapore there; however, he was expelled by the Singaporean government in May 1988 for his alleged involvement with opposition politicians Francis Seow and Patrick Seong, in an incident which came to be known as the "Hendrickson affair".[3][4]

Her most influential role came in 1999 when, as Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the European Union (USEU), she led the Mission's economic team covering U.S.-EU economic relations and served as the last U.S. Commissioner on the Tripartite Gold Commission, which adjudicated sovereign claims for Nazi gold recovered by the Allies after World War II. In late 2004 she assisted in establishing the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, serving there as Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs.

Derse was the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan from July 3, 2006 to January 22, 2009.[5]

On June 4, 2009, it was announced that Derse would be appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as ambassador to Lithuania. She was confirmed by the Senate on July 24, 2009. She was sworn in on September 28, 2009, and presented her credentials on October 14, 2009. She served until July 1, 2012.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Biography". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 9 November 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  2. ^ "President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate Anne E. Derse". Macalester College. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  3. ^ a b Crossette, Barbara (1988-05-08), "Singapore Asks Removal of U.S. Envoy", The New York Times, retrieved 2010-03-03
  4. ^ a b American Ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne E. Derse, USAID, 2007-07-06, archived from the original on 2009-05-17, retrieved 2010-03-03
  5. ^ a b "Anne E. Derse (1954–)". Department of State.
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Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Azerbaijan
2003–2006
Succeeded by
Preceded by Ambassador of the United States to Lithuania
2009-2012
Succeeded by