The first Filipino American to become a US Ambassador
Ambassador Michele J. Sison was nominated to her post by US President George Bush. Her father, Pablo Sison is originally from Pangasinan. Sison is a career member of the United States’ Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor. She was confirmed by the US Senate as Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates on May 6, 2004 and sworn in by Secretary of State Powell on July 12, 2004. Prior to her appointment to the UAE, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs, charged with providing broad policy oversight of US relations with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Ambassador Sison’s overseas assignments include service as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. at the US Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan (1999-2002) and as consul General at the USConsulate General in Chennai, India (1996-1999). She also served at the US Missions in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (1993-1996); Douala, Cameroon (1991-1993); Cotonou, Benin (1988-1991); Lome, Togo (1984-1988); and Port-au-Prince, Haiti (1982-1984), as well as in Washington. Ambassador Sison is the recipient of numerous US Department of State awards for exceptional service.
Ambassador Sison was born on May 27, 1959 in Arlington, Virginia. She earned her BA in Political Science from Wellesley College and also studied at the London School of Economics.
She shortly served as the Chargé D’Affairs of Lebanon before officially becoming the US Ambassador to Lebanon in June 2008. She has two daughters in college.
( Published October 28, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. B2 )
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