Raynor, Michael – Republic of Senegal and Republic of Guinea- Bissau – May 2021

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 Senegal and Republic of Guinea-Bissau

CANDIDATE: Michael Raynor

Michael Raynor, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, most recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia. He has also served as the Assistant Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan and as the U.S. Ambassador to Benin. Earlier, Ambassador Raynor was the Director, Office of Career Development and Assignments, Bureau of Human Resources, Department of State, where he oversaw career development for all 14,000-plus members of the Foreign Service. He was also the Africa Bureau’s Executive Director leading management and crisis support efforts for the bureau’s 53 U.S. embassies and consulates. Over the course of his career he has served in all African sub-regions. That solid grounding in African affairs, coupled with strong record of leadership in difficult environments and extensive work on issues related to democracy, development and security, make him an excellent candidate to be U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

Ambassador Raynor’s previous experience includes tours as Management Officer at the U.S. Embassies in Zimbabwe, Namibia, Guinea and Djibouti (serving at each post for extended periods as Chargé d’Affaires a.i. or Acting Deputy Chief of Mission). Earlier assignments include serving as a Consular Officer in Luxembourg and General Services Officer in Brazzaville, Congo. Additional domestic assignments at the Department of State include Zimbabwe Desk Officer as well as Legislative Management Officer and Special Assistant in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs. Mr. Raynor also served as an analyst for the U.S. Senate’s Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition in 1987.

Ambassador Raynor earned a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University, New York, New York in 1986 and a B.A. from Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania in 1984. He is the recipient of numerous State Department Awards, including the Leamon R. Hunt Award for Management Excellence. He speaks fluent French.