President Obama Announces Nominee for Ambassador to Haiti

Kenneth Merten currently serves as Deputy Executive Secretary at the Department of State. A career Foreign Service Officer, he joined the Foreign Service in 1987. His previous overseas diplomatic assignments include Economic Counselor in Paris, France, Economic Section Chief, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Economic Officer at the U.S. Mission to the European Union, in Brussels, Belgium, Economic Officer in Bonn, Germany and Vice Consul in Port-au-Prince. Mr. Merten's Washington assignments include two tours in the State Department Operations Center and service in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs and on the Cuba Desk, as well as a year as Special Assistant to the Special Advisors on Haiti. Mr. Merten holds a B.A. from Miami University in Ohio, and a Masters in Public Administration from American University. Studies at the Université d'Aix-Marseille in France and at Karl Franzens Universität in Austria complement his other academic work.