List of ambassadors of the United States to Botswana


From 1885 until 1966 the area of Southern Africa that is now Botswana was part of the Bechuanaland Protectorate of Great Britain.
In June 1964, Britain accepted proposals for democratic self-government in Botswana. The seat of government was moved from Mahikeng in South Africa, to newly established in Gaberones in 1965. The 1965 constitution led to the first general elections and to independence on 30 September 1966.
The United States immediately recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations. An embassy in Gaberones was established on 30 September 1966—independence day for Botswana. Charles H. Pletcher was appointed as Chargé d'affaires ad interim pending the appointment of an ambassador. He served June 1970–September 1971.
WWW botswana.usembassy.gov

Ambassadors

  • Note: Charles H. Pletcher served as chargé d'affaires September 1966–June 1970. W. Kennedy Cromwell III
NameTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated missionNotes
Charles J. Nelson – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary9 June 19713 November 1971Left Gaborone, 2 March 1974
David B. Bolen – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary28 February 197422 April 1974Left Gaborone, 11 August 1976
Donald R. Norland – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary17 November 197623 February 1978Left Gaborone, 8 September 1979In 1979 the first ambassador was appointed solely for Botswana.
Horace Dawson – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary12 October 197927 November 197927 August 1982
Theodore C. Maino – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary30 September 19822 December 19826 September 1985
Natale H. Bellocchi – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary28 October 198519 November 198516 September 1988
John Florian Kordek – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary11 August 198829 September 19881 November 1989
David Passage – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary27 June 19907 August 199029 April 1993
Howard Franklin Jeter – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary16 July 19939 September 199321 June 1996
Robert Krueger – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary6 June 199623 July 19966 December 1999
John E. Lange – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary16 November 199915 December 19998 August 2002
Joseph Huggins – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary15 November 200228 January 200326 July 2005
Katherine H. P. Canavan – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary2 August 200527 September 200527 June 2008
Stephen J. Nolan – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary23 June 20086 October 200813 June 2011
Michelle D. Gavin – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary18 April 201120 June 201122 February 2014
Earl Robert Miller – Foreign Service SpecialistAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 201418 December 201424 September 2018
Craig L. Cloud - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary7 January 20192 April 201924 May 2022
Howard Van Vranken - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary21 December 202224 May 2023Incumbent