Gilmour, David R. – Republic of Equatorial Guinea – August 2021 – Comp Statement

REPORT FOR THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

UNITED STATES SENATE

SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination: Certificate of
Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service
Act, Section 304(a)(4)

POST: Republic of Equatorial Guinea

CANDIDATE: David R. Gilmour

David R. Gilmour, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, is Chargé d’affaires a.i. at U.S. Embassy N’Djamena, Chad, where he leads U.S. efforts to move that country toward genuine democracy, accountable governance, and respect for human rights, following the unexpected recent death of Chad’s president. He is a former Ambassador to the Togolese Republic, where he oversaw the launch of a groundbreaking Millennium Challenge program, promoted greater private sector investment, and co-organized the 2017 AGOA Forum. Mr. Gilmour was earlier Deputy Chief of Mission in Malawi, where he served as Chargé d’affaires a.i. for one year and worked extensively on development and food security. Mr. Gilmour served in the Bureau of African Affairs at the Department of State as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Africa, where he oversaw policy for 10 countries and worked on crises in Burundi and the Central African Republic. He was Director of East African Affairs, and Director of Public Diplomacy for Africa, and served at the U.S. embassies in South Africa and Cameroon. Mr. Gilmour’s deep familiarity with regional issues, and his senior policy experience in Washington, make him well-qualified to serve as U.S. ambassador to Equatorial Guinea.
Mr. Gilmour served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Panama, where he led a large interagency law enforcement team focused on the security of the Panama Canal and illicit trafficking. He was Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Mission in Geneva. Other overseas assignments include Australia and Costa Rica.
Mr. Gilmour received a B.A. from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, and an M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. The recipient of numerous awards, including the Partnership Excellence Award from the Secretary of State’s Office of Global Partnerships, he speaks French and Spanish.