Donna Ann Welton
Donna Ann Welton is an American diplomat who is the nominee to be the next United States Ambassador to Timor Leste. Early life and education
Welton earned her A.B. from Yale University and holds a Master's degree in strategic studies from the Army War College. Career
Welton is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, with the rank of Minister-Counselor. Welton began her career in the United States Information Agency, where she served in South Korea as the Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer in Seoul; she also served as the American Center Director in Daegu, later serving in the same role in Fukuoka, Japan. She currently serves as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Programs and Operations for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs within the U.S. Department of State. Previoisly, she served as Assistant Chief of Mission in Kabul, Afghanistan, as well as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki, Finland. Welton served over eighteen months as Chargé d'affaires, ad interim in Helsinki. Welton had also served in the Department of Defense as the Acting Director for Southeast Asia in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy. She also worked at both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and at the American Federation of Arts in New York. Welton has also held public diplomacy positions in Tokyo, Nagoya, Washington, and Jakarta. Other posts in Japan include serving as Consul General in Sapporo and Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. Welton had additionally served as Counselor for Public Affairs in Kabul, followed by service at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations as Deputy Director of Communications and Public Affairs. Ambassadorship Nomination for Timor Leste
On September 2, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Welton to be the next ambassador to Timor Leste. On September 8, 2022, her nomination was sent to the Senate. Her nomination expired at the end of the year and was returned to President Biden on January 3, 2023. President Biden renominated Welton the same day. Her nomination is pending before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Personal life
Welton speaks Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, German, Dari, and Finnish. References

Yale University alumni
United States Army War College alumni
American diplomats
Living people
United States Foreign Service personnel
United States Department of State officials
United States Information Agency directors
United States Department of Defense officials
Year of birth missing (living people)