At a ceremony at the U.S. State Department in Washington, DC on October 23, Mattie Sharpless was sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic.

The former acting administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service, Sharpless served in a variety of positions for the agency in Washington, DC and on foreign assignments since joining FAS in 1965. From July 1999 to January 2001 she served as Special Envoy to Emerging Economies, focusing on initiatives to strengthen the U.S. economic partnership with Sub-Saharan Africa and its integration into the world trading system.

“I am indeed honored that President George W. Bush nominated me to serve as the Ambassador to the Central African Republic,” she said. “With this appointment, USDA and FAS will have risen to a new height, with two Ambassadors from USDA--Chris Goldthwait [who served as USDA’s General Sales Manager from November 1993 until May 1999] who is the Ambassador to Chad, and myself.”

Mattie Sharpless (seated) is surrounded by family members, friends, and former colleagues from USDA, including Secretary Ann M. Veneman (standing, third from right), as she signs a document following her swearing-in as the U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic. --Photo by Ann Thomas

“This is a recognition of the important role that FAS plays in the foreign policy sphere,” Sharpless added. “It also demonstrates the continued strength of the Foreign Agricultural Service as a Foreign Service agency.”

“I have known Mattie for many years and have worked closely with her, both in Washington and overseas,” said Secretary Ann M. Veneman. “She has been a pioneer throughout her career. She is a consummate diplomat, a conscientious manager, a top-notch leader, and, above all, a forceful advocate for American foreign diplomacy, particularly agricultural affairs. In all of her overseas assignments, her sound analytical judgment and policy astuteness have enabled her to manage agricultural and political relations in an unparalleled fashion.”

Sharpless’s service at FAS encompassed her first overseas assignment during the Kennedy Round Trade Negotiations, to postings at the U.S. Missions to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, France, and to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium. She also served as Agricultural Counselor in Bern, Switzerland, and Rome, Italy, and most recently as Agricultural Minister-Counselor in Paris. She also served as FAS’s [then] assistant administrator for foreign agricultural affairs in the 1990s. The October 1990 issue of the USDA News carried her complete biographical sketch, following her selection to that position. ¤

--Harold Kanarek