Suzanne Hale
Encyclopedia
Suzanne K. Hale is a former United States Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia
. She is currently Associate Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service
.
The United States Senate
confirmed Hale on June 25, 2004. She took charge on August 24 and presented her credentials the next day.
Hale, who holds the rank of Career Minister, has more than 25 years of experience as a Foreign Agricultural Affairs Officer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). As Minister-Counselor for Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Hale managed USDA’s three offices in Japan from 2000-2004. From 1997-2000, during China’s WTO accession negotiations, she served as Minister-Counselor for Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing
. As Director of the Foreign Agricultural Service’s AgExport Services Division from 1990 to 1996, she managed USDA’s international trade show program and coordinated outreach for new exporters. Hale previously served at the Embassy in Tokyo
from 1981 to 1988, first as Agricultural Attaché
, then as Agricultural Trade Officer. Ambassador Hale received USDA’s top honor – the Secretary of Agriculture’s Distinguished Service Award — for her cost effective management while opening the first Agricultural Trade Office in Japan. From 1978 to 1981, she worked with USDA’s international trade policy staff in Washington, DC.
Hale was raised in western New York
, and educated at Columbia University
’s School of International and Public Affairs, the International Christian University in Tokyo, and Beloit College
in Beloit, Wisconsin. Her husband is an attorney and they have two grown children.
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
. She is currently Associate Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service
Foreign Agricultural Service
The Foreign Agricultural Service is the foreign affairs agency with primary responsibility for the United States Department of Agriculture's overseas programs—market development, international trade agreements and negotiations, and the collection of statistics and market information...
.
The United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed Hale on June 25, 2004. She took charge on August 24 and presented her credentials the next day.
Hale, who holds the rank of Career Minister, has more than 25 years of experience as a Foreign Agricultural Affairs Officer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). As Minister-Counselor for Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Hale managed USDA’s three offices in Japan from 2000-2004. From 1997-2000, during China’s WTO accession negotiations, she served as Minister-Counselor for Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. As Director of the Foreign Agricultural Service’s AgExport Services Division from 1990 to 1996, she managed USDA’s international trade show program and coordinated outreach for new exporters. Hale previously served at the Embassy in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
from 1981 to 1988, first as Agricultural Attaché
Agricultural attaché
An agricultural attaché is a diplomat who collects, analyzes, and acts on information on agriculture, agribusiness, food, and other related spheres in a foreign country or countries. Agricultural attachés may be directly employed by the sending country's agriculture ministry, or they may be...
, then as Agricultural Trade Officer. Ambassador Hale received USDA’s top honor – the Secretary of Agriculture’s Distinguished Service Award — for her cost effective management while opening the first Agricultural Trade Office in Japan. From 1978 to 1981, she worked with USDA’s international trade policy staff in Washington, DC.
Hale was raised in western New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and educated at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
’s School of International and Public Affairs, the International Christian University in Tokyo, and Beloit College
Beloit College
Beloit College is a liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin, USA. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, and has an enrollment of roughly 1,300 undergraduate students. Beloit is the oldest continuously operated college in Wisconsin, and has the oldest building of any college...
in Beloit, Wisconsin. Her husband is an attorney and they have two grown children.