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.

Ambassador of the United States to Botswana
Seal of the United States Department of State
Flag of a United States ambassador
Incumbent Howard Van Vranken since 24 May 2023
Nominator	The president of the United States
Appointer	The president with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder	Charles H. Pletcher as Chargé d'Affaires
Formation	September 1966
Website	U.S. Embassy - Gaborone

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 (now Gaborone) in 1965. The 1965 constitution led to the first general elections and to independence on 30 September 1966.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[1] He served June 1970–September 1971.

Ambassadors

• Note: Charles H. Pletcher served as chargé d'affaires September 1966–June 1970. W. Kennedy Cromwell III

Name	Title	Appointed	Presented credentials	Terminated mission	Notes
Charles J. Nelson – Political appointee[a]	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary	9 June 1971	3 November 1971	Left Gaborone, 2 March 1974
David B. Bolen – Career FSO[a]		28 February 1974	22 April 1974	Left Gaborone, 11 August 1976
Donald R. Norland – Career FSO[b]		17 November 1976	23 February 1978	Left Gaborone, 8 September 1979	In 1979 the first ambassador was appointed solely for Botswana.
Horace Dawson – Career FSO		12 October 1979	27 November 1979	27 August 1982
Theodore C. Maino – Political appointee		30 September 1982	2 December 1982	6 September 1985
Natale H. Bellocchi – Career FSO		28 October 1985	19 November 1985	16 September 1988
John Florian Kordek – Career FSO		11 August 1988	29 September 1988	1 November 1989
David Passage – Career FSO		27 June 1990	7 August 1990	29 April 1993
Howard Franklin Jeter – Career FSO		16 July 1993	9 September 1993	21 June 1996
Robert Krueger – Political appointee		6 June 1996	23 July 1996	6 December 1999
John E. Lange – Career FSO		16 November 1999	15 December 1999	8 August 2002
Joseph Huggins – Career FSO		15 November 2002	28 January 2003	26 July 2005
Katherine H. P. Canavan – Career FSO		2 August 2005	27 September 2005	27 June 2008[2]
Stephen J. Nolan – Career FSO		23 June 2008[3]	6 October 2008	13 June 2011[4]
Michelle D. Gavin – Political appointee		18 April 2011	20 June 2011	22 February 2014
Earl Robert Miller – Foreign Service Specialist		December 2014	18 December 2014	24 September 2018
Craig L. Cloud - Career FSO		7 January 2019	2 April 2019[5]	24 May 2022
Howard Van Vranken - Career FSO		21 December 2022	24 May 2023	Incumbent

Notes

1. Accredited to Botswana, Eswatini, and Lesotho.
2. Norland was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on 24 June 1977.

See also

• Botswana–United States relations
• Foreign relations of Botswana
• Ambassadors of the United States