List of ambassadors of the United States to Mauritania

Ambassador of the United States to Mauritania
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent Cynthia Kierscht since June 22, 2021
Nominator	The President of the United States
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder	Henry S. Villard
Formation	November 28, 1960
Website	U.S. Embassy - Nouakchott

U.S. diplomatic terms
Career FSO After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time. Political appointee A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends). Appointed The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office. Presented credentials The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely. Terminated mission Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy. Chargé d'affaires The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. Ad interim Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".

The United States embassy in Mauritania is located in Nouakchott. Mauritania – United States relations have been developing since 1960. The incumbent ambassador is Cynthia Kierscht.

Ambassadors

Henry S. Villard – Career FSO^[1]
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Resident in, and concurrent US Ambassador to, neighbouring Senegal
- Appointed: November 28, 1960
- Terminated mission: Left post, April 30, 1961
Philip M. Kaiser – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Resident in, and concurrent US Ambassador to, neighbouring Senegal
- Appointed: August 1, 1961
- Terminated mission: Left post, May 18, 1964
William L. Eagleton, Jr – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. Ad Interim
- Appointed: 1962
- Terminated mission: 1964
Geoffrey W. Lewis – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: March 31, 1965
- Terminated mission: Left post, June 9, 1967
Robert A. Stein – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: March 1970
- Terminated mission: Left post, November 1971
Richard W. Murphy – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: December 17, 1971
- Terminated mission: Left post, June 5, 1974
Holsey G. Handyside – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: April 15, 1975
- Terminated mission: Left post, December 5, 1977
E. Gregory Kryza – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: December 16, 1977
- Terminated mission: Left post, June 29, 1980
Stanley N. Schrager – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. Ad Interim
- Appointed: September 1980
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 1982
Edward Brynn – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. Ad Interim
- Appointed: July 1982
- Terminated mission: Left post, February 1983
Edward Lionel Peck – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: February 19, 1983
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 7, 1985
Robert L. Pugh – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: September 5, 1985
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 5, 1988
William H. Twaddell – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: October 6, 1988
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 20, 1991
Gordon S. Brown – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: September 5, 1991
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 18, 1994
Dorothy Myers Sampas – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: November 3, 1994
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 4, 1997
Timberlake Foster – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: November 11, 1997
- Terminated mission: Left post, October 3, 2000
John W. Limbert – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: November 21, 2000
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 8, 2003
Joseph LeBaron – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: September 1, 2003
- Terminated mission: November 22, 2007
Mark Boulware – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: November 22, 2007
- Terminated mission: Left post, May 6, 2010^[2]
Jo Ellen Powell – Career FSO^[3]
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
- Appointed: October 10, 2010
- Terminated mission: Left post, December 12, 2013^[4]
Larry André Jr. – Career FSO^[5]
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Nominated: January 6, 2014
- Appointed: September 25, 2014
- Presentation of credentials: November 3, 2014
- Terminated mission: Left post, November 17, 2017
Michael Dodman – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Nominated: July 27, 2017
- Appointed: November 20, 2017
- Presentation of credentials: March 13, 2018
- Terminated mission: February 2021
Cynthia Kierscht – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Nominated: June 18, 2020
- Appointed: January 27, 2021
- Presentation of credentials: June 22, 2021
- Terminated mission: Incumbent

References

^ "US Ambassador to Mauritania. US GOVERNMENT OFFICE". Retrieved 2011-02-07.
^ "Mark M. Boulware - People - Department History - Office of the Historian".
^ "US Embassy in Mauritania. PRESS STATEMENT AMBASSADOR JO ELLEN POWELL U.S. EMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT, MAURITANIA". Retrieved 2011-02-07.
^ Department of the Historian. "Jo Ellen Powell (1953-)". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
^ Department of the Historian. "Larry Edward Andre (1961-)". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2015-01-17.

United States Department of State: Background notes on Mauritania
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.