Lisa D. Kenna

Lisa S. Dougherty Kenna[1] (born August 19, 1965)[2] is the United States Ambassador to Peru since 2021. She previously served as the Executive Secretary of the United States Department of State, succeeding Joseph E. Macmanus, under President Donald Trump.[3][4]

Lisa Kenna
United States Ambassador to Peru
Assumed office
November 18, 2020
PresidentDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Preceded byKrishna Urs
Executive Secretary of the United States Department of State
In office
June 15, 2017 – November 18, 2020
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byJoseph Macmanus
Succeeded byKamala S. Lakhdhir
Personal details
Born
Lisa S. Dougherty

(1965-08-19) August 19, 1965
Peoria, Illinois, U.S.
EducationMiddlebury College (BA)
University of Connecticut, Hartford (JD)

Early life and education

Kenna is the daughter of Air Force Colonel Andrew Joseph Dougherty[5] and Marjorie Marie (Schrader) Dougherty.[6] Kenna studied at Middlebury College and the University of Connecticut School of Law. She worked as an attorney in private practice before joining the Central Intelligence Agency. She spent nine years with the CIA and then joined the Foreign Service.[7]

Ukraine scandal involvement

On October 1, 2019, a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit was issued by American Oversight, an American activist group, against the United States Department of State. Kenna was named, along with other officials, in connection to the Trump–Ukraine scandal. The lawsuit requested communications of various sorts between the named officials and lawyers Rudy Giuliani, Victoria Toensing, and Joseph diGenova, along with communications regarding Ukraine officials and communications regarding Marie Yovanovitch, who was the Ambassador to Ukraine until she was recalled early in May.[8] In the same week, text messages from former Special Representative for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, were released in a joint statement by the Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight and Reform Committees. In the statement was a conversation by acting Ambassador to Ukraine, Bill Taylor, and Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, over withholding aid to Ukraine. Sondland redirected Taylor to Kenna over concerns that Taylor held regarding the withholding.[9][10]

Ambassadorship to Peru

On May 1, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Kenna to be the next United States Ambassador to the Republic of Peru.[11] On May 6, 2020, her nomination was sent to the Senate.[12] On July 23, 2020, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.[13] On November 18, 2020, her nomination was confirmed in the United States Senate by voice vote.[14]

Personal

Lisa Kenna was married to Roger T. Kenna.[15][16] She speaks Arabic, Persian and Urdu.[17]

References
  1. "PN1377 — Foreign Service". 29 April 2004. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  2. "Lisa D. Kenna (1965–)". Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  3. The Personnel Crisis Awaiting the Next Secretary of State
  4. Lisa D. Kenna
  5. "Dougherty, Andrew J". ANC Explorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  6. Estrada, Louis (July 26, 1997). "Andrew J. Dougherty". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  7. https://www.state.gov/kenna-lisa-republic-of-peru-may-2020/
  8. American Oversight, v. U.S. Department of State (D.D.C.).Text
  9. READ: Text messages between US diplomats and Ukrainians released by House Democrats - CNN
  10. 'Crazy to withhold security assistance' to Ukraine for political campaign: Top US diplomat - ABC News
  11. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts", The White House, May 1, 2020
  12. "One Nomination Sent to the Senate", The White House, May 6, 2020
  13. "Nominations". U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. July 23, 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  14. "PN1816 - Nomination of Lisa S. Kenna for Department of State, 116th Congress (2019-2020)". www.congress.gov. 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  15. "Roger T. Kenna". Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  16. "Statement of Lisa Kenna, Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Peru" (PDF). U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. July 23, 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  17. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts", The White House, May 1, 2020
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