Lisa S. Dougherty Kenna[3] (born August 19, 1965)[4] is an American diplomat who has served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research since September 11, 2023.[5] She had served as the United States Ambassador to Peru from March 2021 to September 2023. She previously served as the Executive Secretary of the United States Department of State, succeeding Joseph E. Macmanus, under President Donald Trump.[6][7]
Lisa Kenna | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research | |
| Assumed office July 5, 2024 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Brett Holmgren |
| United States Ambassador to Peru | |
| In office March 22, 2021[1] – September 8, 2023[2] | |
| President | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Krishna Urs |
| Succeeded by | John T. McNamara (acting) |
| 26th Executive Secretary of the United States Department of State | |
| In office June 15, 2017 – November 18, 2020 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Joseph Macmanus |
| Succeeded by | Kamala S. Lakhdhir |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lisa S. Dougherty August 19, 1965 Peoria, Illinois, U.S. |
| Education | Middlebury College (BA) University of Connecticut, Hartford (JD) |
Early life and education
editKenna is the daughter of Air Force Colonel Andrew Joseph Dougherty[8] and Marjorie Marie (Schrader) Dougherty.[9] 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.[citation needed] She spent nine years with the CIA and then joined the Foreign Service.[10]
Ukraine scandal involvement
editOn 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.[11] 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.[12][13]
Ambassadorship to Peru
editOn May 1, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Kenna to be the next United States Ambassador to the Republic of Peru.[14] On May 6, 2020, her nomination was sent to the Senate.[15] On July 23, 2020, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.[16] On November 18, 2020, her nomination was confirmed in the United States Senate by voice vote.[17] Lisa Kenna presented her credentials to the President Francisco Sagasti on March 22, 2021[18] On September 8, 2023, she was succeeded in the role by ad interim Chargé d'Affaires John T. McNamara.[19][20]
Personal
editLisa Kenna was married to Roger T. Kenna.[21][22] She speaks Arabic, Persian and Urdu.[23]
References
edit- ^ "✍️ Embajadora de Estados Unidos en Perú presentó sus credenciales". 24 March 2021.
- ^ https://twitter.com/USAmbPeru/status/1700202087315898781?s=19 [bare URL]
- ^ "PN1377 — Foreign Service". 29 April 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
- ^ "Lisa D. Kenna (1965–)". Retrieved May 30, 2019.
- ^ "Lisa Kenna".
- ^ The Personnel Crisis Awaiting the Next Secretary of State
- ^ Lisa D. Kenna
- ^ "Dougherty, Andrew J". ANC Explorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
- ^ Estrada, Louis (July 26, 1997). "Andrew J. Dougherty". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
- ^ "Kenna, Lisa - Republic of Peru - May 2020".
- ^ American Oversight, v. U.S. Department of State (D.D.C.), Text.
- ^ READ: Text messages between US diplomats and Ukrainians released by House Democrats - CNN
- ^ 'Crazy to withhold security assistance' to Ukraine for political campaign: Top US diplomat - ABC News
- ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts", The White House, May 1, 2020
- ^ "One Nomination Sent to the Senate", The White House, May 6, 2020
- ^ "Nominations". U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. July 23, 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
- ^ "PN1816 - Nomination of Lisa S. Kenna for Department of State, 116th Congress (2019-2020)". www.congress.gov. 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
- ^ "✍️ Embajadora de Estados Unidos en Perú presentó sus credenciales". 24 March 2021.
- ^ "Quiero agradecer a todos los peruanos". X.com. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "Deputy Chief of Mission Joan Perkins". 20 August 2024.
- ^ "Roger T. Kenna". Retrieved 2020-07-28.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts", The White House, May 1, 2020
External links
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