The Washington Diplomat

Appointments - June 2009

Bahamas
Quincy Parker assumed the position of press and cultural attaché in Febraury.

Barbados
John Beale was appointed ambassador of Barbados to the United States on Jan. 29. Ambassador Beale has 26 years of experience in the international banking and project financing sectors, including 11 years in the Chase Manhattan Bank network, three and a half years at Banco Internacional, three years at RBTT Bank Barbados Ltd., and more than eight years at the International Finance Corp. (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank. Among his positions are: president and CEO of RBTT Barbados Ltd. (2004-09), a leading pan-Caribbean banking group with assets of $7 billion; divisional executive chairman of Barbados Shipping and Trading Co. (BS&T) and director of BS&T and Neal & Massy (1995-2004); investment officer with the Business Advisory Service of the IFC (1987-95); general manager of the full branch unit at Banco Internacional; and deputy director of Chase. Ambassador Beale has also served as honorary consul in Rio de Janeiro and Uruguay, as well as head of the Barbados Private Sector Trade Team from 2003 to 2007. He holds a master’s of business administration from Thunderbird, School of Global Management in Arizona and a bachelor’s degree from Marietta College in Ohio. He speaks English, Portuguese and some Spanish, and is married with three children.

Lt. Col. Clyde Parris assumed the position of defense attaché on April 1, replacing Lt. Col. Atheline Branch, who departed the post on March 31.

Chile
José Goñi was appointed ambassador of Chile to the United States on April 20, 2009. Ambassador Goñi previously served as Chile’s minister of defense (2007-09), as well as ambassador to Mexico (2006-07), to Italy (2000-04) and to Sweden (1997-2000). In addition, he was the Chilean representative at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and at the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). Other postings include: director for Europe of the General Directorate for International Economic Affairs (DIRECON); head of the team assigned to negotiate the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union (1995-96); and director of the Stockholm branch of the Chilean Promotion Office (PROCHILE) for Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Ambassador Goñi, a business graduate who majored in economic planning, was also a researcher and professor of Latin American economics at the University of Stockholm and is the author of numerous academic studies.

India
Meera Shankar arrived in Washington on April 26, 2009, to become the ambassador of India to the United States. Ambassador Shankar, who joined the Foreign Service in 1973, most recently served as India’s ambassador to Germany (2005-09). After promotion to the rank of additional secretary in 2002, she held the responsibility for the United Nations and International Security. In addition, she has served as director in the Prime Minister’s Office (1985-91), minister (commerce) at the Indian Embassy in Washington (1991-95), and head of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations in New Delhi overseeing India’s cultural diplomacy. She also headed two important divisions in the Ministry of External Affairs dealing with the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and relations with Nepal and Bhutan. She is married and has a daughter.

Poland
Pawel Lechowicz assumed the position of minister counselor on April 30.

United States
On May 13, U.S. President Barack Obama announced his nomination of Capricia Penavic Marshall to serve as U.S. chief of protocol, with the rank of ambassador. In 1992, after graduating from Case Western University School of Law, Marshall joined Gov. Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign as special assistant to Hillary Rodham Clinton. Upon entering the White House in 1993, Marshall served as special assistant to the first lady, traveling extensively and coordinating her agenda, meetings and public appearances. In 1997, at the age of 32, Marshall was appointed deputy assistant to the president and social secretary to the White House, becoming the youngest social secretary in recent history. In 2001, she began working as a consultant to a number of nonprofit and private sector organizations. In 2006, Marshall joined the re-election efforts for Sen. Hillary Clinton and subsequently joined Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. As senior advisor, she led the Surrogate Speakers Program and helped to coordinate women’s outreach. In 2008, Marshall became executive director of Hillpac and Friends of Hillary and is currently overseeing the closure of both committees. A first-generation American and native of Cleveland, Ohio, Marshall graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies and holds a law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. She also studied at the University of Madrid for a year and traveled extensively throughout Europe.