List of ambassadors of the United States to Lesotho

Prior to 1965, the area of southern Africa that is now Lesotho was a Crown colony by the name of Basutoland. Along with most of the empire's other colonies and protectorates, Basutoland gained full independence from Britain in the 1960s. The nation was granted full autonomy on April 30, 1965. On October 4, 1966, Basutoland was granted independence, governed by a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament. At the same time the name of the country was changed to The Kingdom of Lesotho.

Ambassador of the United States to Lesotho
Seal of the United States Department of State
Flag of a United States ambassador
Incumbent Thomas Hines Chargé d'affaires ad interim since August 13, 2024[1]
Nominator	The president of the United States
Appointer	The president with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder	Richard St. F. Post as Chargé d'affaires ad interim
Formation	October 4, 1966
Website	ls.usembassy.gov

The United States immediately recognized Lesotho after the nation gained its independence. An embassy in Maseru was established on October 4, 1966, Lesotho's independence day. Richard St. F. Post was appointed chargé d'affaires ad interim pending the arrival of an ambassador. The first ambassador, Charles J. Nelson was appointed on June 9, 1971. Until 1979 one ambassador was accredited to Lesotho, Swaziland, and Botswana. The ambassador was resident in Gaborone, Botswana.

Ambassadors

• Note: Pending appointment of the first ambassador, the following officers served as chargé d'affaires ad interim: Richard St. F. Post (October 1966–July 1968), Norman E. Barth (July 1968–August 1969), and Stephen G. Gebelt (October 1969–December 1970).

Name	Title	Appointed	Presented credentials	Terminated mission	Notes
Charles J. Nelson – Career FSO[2]	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary	June 9, 1971	September 23, 1971	Left Gaborone, March 2, 1974
David B. Bolen – Career FSO[2]		February 28, 1974	April 25, 1974	Left Gaborone, August 11, 1976
Donald R. Norland – Career FSO[2][3]		November 17, 1976	January 6, 1977	Left Gaborone, October 6, 1979	Beginning in 1979, the ambassador was accredited solely to Lesotho and resident in Maseru.
John R. Clingerman – Career FSO		September 28, 1979	November 1, 1979	November 15, 1981
Keith Lapham Brown – Political appointee		March 9, 1982	March 25, 1982	December 1, 1983
Shirley Abbott – Political appointee		May 11, 1984	July 3, 1984	August 18, 1986[4]
Robert M. Smalley[5] – Political appointee		June 15, 1987	July 2, 1987	July 7, 1989
Leonard H. O. Spearman – Political appointee		October 22, 1990	January 24, 1991	April 25, 1993	Karl Hoffmann served as chargé d'affaires ad interim, April 1993–April 1995.
Bismarck Myrick – Career FSO		March 4, 1995	April 27, 1995	June 10, 1998
Katherine Canavan – Career FSO		June 29, 1998	September 18, 1998	June 1, 2001
Robert Geers Loftis – Career FSO		August 6, 2001	October 11, 2001	June 18, 2004
June Carter Perry – Career FSO		July 2, 2004	September 23, 2004	May 21, 2007[6]
Robert B. Nolan – Career FSO		September 26, 2007	October 10, 2007	September 3, 2010[7]
Michele T. Bond – Career FSO		September 14, 2010	October 28, 2010	December 4, 2012[8]
Matthew T. Harrington – Career FSO		September 22, 2014	October 18, 2014	January 20, 2017
Rebecca Gonzales – Career FSO		November 16, 2017	February 8, 2018	February 4, 2022[9]
Maria E. Brewer – Career FSO		December 18, 2021	March 10, 2022	April 12, 2024
Keisha Toms Boutaleb – Career FSO	Chargé d'affaires ad interim	April 12, 2024		August 13, 2024
Thomas Hines – Career FSO		August 13, 2024		Incumbent