Kelly Craft facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kelly Craft
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2019
|
|
| 30th United States Ambassador to the United Nations | |
| In office September 12, 2019 – January 20, 2021 |
|
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Richard M. Mills Jr. |
| Preceded by | Nikki Haley |
| Succeeded by | Linda Thomas-Greenfield |
| 31st United States Ambassador to Canada | |
| In office October 23, 2017 – August 23, 2019 |
|
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Richard M. Mills Jr. |
| Preceded by | Bruce Heyman |
| Succeeded by | David L. Cohen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kelly Dawn Guilfoil
February 24, 1962 Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
David Moross
(m. 1986, divorced)Judson Knight
(m. 1992, divorced)Joe Craft
(m. 2016) |
| Children | 2 daughters |
| Education | University of Kentucky (BA) |
Kelly Dawn Craft (born February 24, 1962) is an American businesswoman and politician. She is also a former diplomat, which is a person who represents their country in other nations.
Craft served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2019 to 2021. Before that, she was the United States Ambassador to Canada from 2017 to 2019. She was the first woman to hold the ambassador role in Canada.
She also leads a business advisory firm called Kelly G. Knight LLC. In 2023, she ran for governor of Kentucky but did not win the election.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kelly Craft was born in Lexington, Kentucky. She grew up in a small town called Glasgow, Kentucky. Her father was a veterinarian and her mother was a home economics teacher.
She played the clarinet in her high school band. Kelly Craft graduated from Glasgow High School in 1980. She then studied at the University of Kentucky. She created her own major, focusing on international law. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1984.
Business and Community Work
In 2004, Kelly Craft started her own business. It is a consulting firm called Kelly G. Knight, LLC. This company helps other businesses with marketing and management.
She has also been very active in her community. She helped raise money for the arts and supported people in need. She has served on the boards of many organizations. These include the Salvation Army and the United Way. She also helped start the Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics. This program helps talented high school students.
Political Involvement
Kelly Craft has been involved in politics for many years. She has supported many Republican political candidates. She helped with President George W. Bush's reelection campaign in 2004. She also raised money for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in 2012.
In 2016, she was a delegate for Kentucky at the Republican National Convention. She and her husband, Joe Craft, gave a lot of money to political campaigns.
US Alternate Delegate to the United Nations
In 2007, President George W. Bush appointed Kelly Craft as an alternate delegate to the United Nations. The United Nations is an organization where countries work together on global issues.
In this role, she advised the US Ambassador to the UN. Her work focused on how the US could help countries in Africa. She also gave a speech about fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa and malaria there.
US Ambassador to Canada
.jpg)
In 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Kelly Craft to be the US Ambassador to Canada. The United States Senate approved her nomination. She officially started her job in October 2017.
She was the 31st US Ambassador to Canada. She was also the first woman to hold this important position. As ambassador, she played a key role in trade talks. These talks led to a new trade agreement between the US, Canada, and Mexico. This agreement is called the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
During her time in Canada, the relationship between the two countries faced some challenges. Despite this, Canadian leaders praised her work. They thanked her for helping to build strong ties between the two nations.
US Ambassador to the United Nations
In 2019, President Trump nominated Kelly Craft to be the next US Ambassador to the United Nations. The United States Senate confirmed her nomination. She was sworn in on September 10, 2019.
She formally presented her credentials to the UN Secretary-General on September 12, 2019. She said she came to the UN to represent America's commitment to democracy and human rights.
Key Actions as UN Ambassador
In October 2019, Kelly Craft spoke about Venezuela. She was upset when the UN Human Rights Council voted to include Venezuela. She said it showed the council was "broken."
She also spoke to the UN Security Council about Hamas. She called Hamas a "terrorist organization." She said it oppressed the Palestinian people and attacked Israel.
In November 2019, she met with the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse. They talked about finding a peaceful solution to Haiti's political problems.
In December 2019, she warned North Korea about testing more missiles. She said the US was ready to work towards peace.
In January 2020, after the US killed an Iranian general, she wrote to the UN Security Council. She said the US action was self-defense. She also said the US was ready to talk with Iran.
In May 2020, she spoke about armed groups in Lebanon, like Hezbollah. She said they should be disarmed. She also expressed concern about weapons being sent to Hezbollah.
In August 2020, she celebrated the new diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. She called it a "huge win" for peace.
She also pushed for the UN to restore sanctions against Iran. Sanctions are penalties used to pressure a country. She said the US would stand alone if needed to protect peace.
In September 2020, she met with a top official from Taiwan. This was a very important meeting, as it was the first time a US Ambassador to the UN met with a high-level Taiwan official. They discussed how Taiwan could be more involved in the UN.
Later that month, she criticized other members of the UN Security Council. She said they were focusing on "political grudges" instead of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In December 2020, she said the UN Human Rights Council was unfair to Israel. She said it focused on Israel more than other countries with human rights issues.
In January 2021, Kelly Craft met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen by video. She said Taiwan was a "model for the world" in fighting COVID-19. After this, China placed sanctions on Craft and other former US officials.
Campaign for Governor of Kentucky
After leaving her role as UN Ambassador, Kelly Craft decided to run for governor of Kentucky. She announced her candidacy on September 7, 2022. She chose Kentucky state senator Max Wise as her running mate.
Her campaign focused on issues like lowering the crime rate. She also spoke about her views on education policies. She raised a lot of money for her campaign. However, she placed third in the Republican primary election.
Personal Life
Kelly Craft is married to Joe Craft. He is a businessman in the coal industry. They were married in April 2016. Kelly Craft has two daughters from previous marriages. Together, she and her husband have six children and eleven grandchildren.
Images for kids
-
Ambassador Craft and President of Haiti Jovenel Moïse in 2019
-
Craft with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2020
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Kelly Craft para niños
