The new Public Affairs Officer for the United States (US) Embassy in Ghana, Pam DeVolder, has assumed office.
The US Public Diplomacy Section in Accra serves as a key driver of the US mission’s engagement with Ghana, with its work spanning press outreach, cultural programming, educational exchanges, alumni engagement and digital communication.
It works closely with colleagues across the mission to strengthen and amplify US commercial diplomacy, immigration, law enforcement and security cooperation initiatives.
Ms DeVolder brings a wealth of public diplomacy experience to her new posting, having most recently served in London as Cultural Affairs Attaché, following earlier public diplomacy assignments in Vietnam, Poland, Laos and Germany.
She has also served at the US embassies in Malawi and Cambodia.
A reception was held at the embassy last Friday to welcome Ms DeVolder and formally introduce her to the Ghanaian community.
The event brought together members of the diplomatic community, government officials, academics, representatives of the sports fraternity, business leaders and the media, providing an opportunity for networking and social interaction, as well as personal engagement with Ms DeVolder.
People-to-people
Addressing the gathering, the Charge d’Affaires of the embassy, Rolf Olson, said the new Public Affairs Officer’s career reflected a deep commitment to person-to-person engagement, which lay at the heart of the embassy’s work in Ghana and strengthened the enduring people-to-people ties between the United States and Ghana.
"I have every confidence that Pam will build on the strong foundation laid by her predecessors.
Ghana's vibrant media landscape, its dynamic civil society, and its rich cultural traditions make this one of the most rewarding public diplomacy postings in the region, and I have no doubt she'll find that to be true very quickly”, he said.
Public diplomacy
Mr Olson explained that public diplomacy in many ways was the human face of the US' bilateral relationships, adding that it was the exchange programmes that sent young Ghanaian leaders to the US and welcomed American students to Ghana.
He said it also represented the cultural events, media partnerships and the countless conversations that built mutual understanding between people of Ghana and the US.
"It is often the first and most lasting impression many Ghanaians have of what the US stands for," he said.
He said this year, the section had helped to deliver on two high-profile campaigns, namely the FIFA World Cup 2026 that the US co-hosted and America's 250th birthday celebration.
Strengthening ties
Ms DeVolder said she had learnt that it was personal connections that defined the strong bilateral relationship between Ghana and the US, and she was honoured to carry that partnership forward.
She said next year, 2027, would be 70 years of Ghana-US relations and she looked forward to that important milestone celebration.
