Cynthia Akuetteh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cynthia Akuetteh
Cynthia Akuetteh in 2016
United States Ambassador to Gabon
In office December 26, 2014 – February 26, 2018
President	Barack Obama Donald Trump
Preceded by	Eric Benjaminson
Succeeded by	Joel Danies
United States Ambassador to São Tomé and Príncipe
In office April 10, 2015 – February 26, 2018
President	Barack Obama Donald Trump
Preceded by	Eric Benjaminson
Succeeded by	Joel Danies
Personal details
Born	1948 (age 76–77)
Alma mater	Long Island University National Defense University

Cynthia Akuetteh (born Cynthia Helen Archie in 1948) is an American diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in other nations. She served as the United States Ambassador to São Tomé and Príncipe and the United States Ambassador to Gabon. An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomat sent to a foreign country.

Early Life and Education

Cynthia Helen Archie was born in Washington, D.C., in 1948. She loved learning and studied history in college. In 1970, she earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from Long Island University. A B.A. is a common college degree.

Later, she continued her studies. She earned a master's degree from the National Defense University in 1973. This degree focused on national security. She also studied for two years at Columbia University.

Career as a Diplomat

Cynthia Akuetteh started her career helping others. She worked with the Peace Corps, a program where Americans volunteer abroad. She first worked in Washington, D.C. Then, she moved to Ghana to help manage the Peace Corps program there.

In 1984, she joined the U.S. Foreign Service. This is a group of people who work for the U.S. government in other countries. She had many international jobs. She worked in countries like Niger, Tanzania, Canada, and Venezuela.

Much of her work focused on Africa. She helped create economic policies for African nations. She also managed relationships with ten countries in Central Africa. From 2012 to 2013, she was a Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs. This meant she helped lead U.S. policy in Africa.

In 2012, she led a U.S. team to a meeting in Nigeria. They discussed development and peace in the Niger Delta region.

Becoming an Ambassador

On December 17, 2013, Cynthia Akuetteh spoke to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This committee decides if people are right for important roles. She shared her ideas for being an ambassador.

After the Senate approved her, she became the U.S. Ambassador. She was sworn in on August 1, 2014. She became the ambassador to the Republic of Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe. She officially started her roles in these countries in late 2014 and early 2015.

During a time of political challenges in Gabon, she spoke out. She encouraged peaceful and democratic ways to solve problems. She wanted to make sure changes happened fairly.

In May 2015, Ambassador Akuetteh welcomed U.S. military members to Gabon. They joined soldiers from 15 African countries and the United Nations. This was for a training exercise called Central Accord 2015. She said the goal was to keep peace and make countries stronger together. Cynthia Akuetteh retired from her diplomatic career on February 26, 2018.

Personal Life

Cynthia Akuetteh was previously married to Nii Akuetteh. He started a research group in Ghana. They have two grown-up children.