US Assistant Secretary to attend Presidential Inauguration

The United States Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will attend the inauguration of Ghana’s President-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Saturday, January 7.

Ms Thomas-Greenfield was also in Ghana to observe Ghana’s elections on December 7, 2016.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was the Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and won the December 7 election with 53.85 per cent of the valid votes to beat incumbent President John Dramani Mahama, candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who had 44.4 per cent. Ms Thomas-Greenfield, a member of the Career Foreign Service, has served as the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs since 2013.

In this capacity, Ms Thomas-Greenfield leads the bureau in the Department of State focused on the development and management of U.S. Policy towards sub-Saharan Africa.

Prior to this appointment, she served as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources from 2012 to 2013; leading a team of approximately 400 employees who handled the full range of personnel functions for the State Department’s 70,000 strong workforce from recruitment and hiring to evaluations, promotions and retirement.

Ms Thomas-Greenfield’s 34-year Foreign Service career includes an ambassadorship to Liberia (2008-2012), and foreign postings in Switzerland (at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations), Pakistan, Kenya, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Jamaica.

In addition to the Bureau of Human Resources, her Washington postings include the Bureau of African Affairs (2006-2008) where she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, and the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (2004-2006) where she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary.