David Young (diplomat)

David Young
United States Ambassador to Malawi
In office
May 5, 2022 – February 12, 2024
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byRobert K. Scott
Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim of Zambia
In office
January 2, 2020 – November 2, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Preceded byDaniel Lewis Foote
Succeeded byMartin A. Dale (Chargé d’Affaires)
Personal details
BornKansas City, Missouri, U.S.
SpouseDiane Weisz Young
Children2
EducationUniversity of Missouri (BA)
Trinity College Dublin
Boston University (MIA, MDiv)

David John Young is an American diplomat who was the United States Ambassador to Malawi.

Education

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Young earned his Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Missouri; a Diploma from Trinity College Dublin; and a Master of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology and a Master of International Affairs from the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies also of Boston University.[1][2]

Career

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Young is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service; he was elevated to class of Minister-Counselor on January 30, 2018.[3] His assignments have included being a Pearson Fellow; a Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala; and Director of the Office of International Religious Freedom in the Bureau of Democracy and Human Rights at the State Department. He has also served as deputy director in the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan & South Sudan, and he also served as executive assistant to the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs at the State Department. Previously he served as Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria.[2] From 2020 to 2021, he served as the Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia.[4][5]

United States ambassador to Malawi

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On August 4, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Young to be the next United States Ambassador to Malawi.[2] On September 30, 2021, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.[6] On October 19, 2021, his nomination was reported favorably out of committee.[7] On March 3, 2022, the Senate confirmed Young by voice vote.[8] He presented his credentials to President Lazarus Chakwera on May 5, 2022.[9][10] He retired on February 12, 2024, He is succeeded by Amy Diaz assumed duties as Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy until a successor is nominated by the White House.

Personal life

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Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, he and his wife Diane Weisz Young have two children, Paul and Sarah.[4] He speaks Spanish.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Pardee School Alumni Confirmed as Ambassador to Malawi". www.bu.edu. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "President Biden Announces Intent to Nominate Nine Foreign Policy and National Security Leaders" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ "PN1436-1 - 93 nominees for Foreign Service, 115th Congress (2017-2018)". www.congress.gov. January 30, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Chargé d'Affaires, ad interim David J. Young". U.S. Embassy in Zambia. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ "Zambia : US appoints David Young as the US Deputy Ambassador to Zambia". March 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  6. ^ "PN1010 - Nomination of David John Young for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. 2021-10-19. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  7. ^ "SFRC APPROVES 33 CRITICAL FOREIGN POLICY NOMINATIONS" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. October 19, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  8. ^ "PN1010 — David John Young — Department of State 117th Congress (2021-2022)". US Congress. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  9. ^ U.S. Embassy Lilongwe [@USEmbassyLLW] (May 5, 2022). "In a ceremony at Kamuzu Palace today, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi David Young presented credentials to H.E. President Lazarus Chakwera" (Tweet). Retrieved 2022-05-05 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ "UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR DAVID YOUNG PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENT CHAKWERA" (Press release). Lilongwe, Malawi: U.S. Embassy in Malawi. May 5, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  11. ^ "Young, David J. – Republic of Malawi – August 2021". U.S Department of State. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim of Zambia
2020–2021
Succeeded by
Martin A. Dale
Chargé d’Affaires
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Malawi
2022–2024
Succeeded by
Amy W. Diaz
Chargé d’Affaires