MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Career diplomat nominated as US ambassador in Montevideo

David D. Nelson is currently Acting Assistant Secretary

President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate David D. Nelson to the post of United States Ambassador to Uruguay. His nomination has to be approved by Congress.

Since January 20, 2009, Mr. Nelson has served as Acting Assistant Secretary, and fulfilled the duties of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs. In those functions, Mr. Nelson is responsible for providing the Secretary of State with advice on the full range of international economic issues.

He also leads and manages the entire Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs (EEB). He joined EEB in June 2008 as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, with specific responsibility for International Finance and Development.

Mr. Nelson is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. He has previously served as Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs, as Director of the Office of Terrorism Finance and Economic Sanctions, Director of the Iraq Reconstruction Task Force, and as Director of the Office of Monetary Affairs.

He has also served on the National Security Council as Senior Coordinator for the Sea Island G-8 Summit, and has been posted abroad in Berlin, Madrid, Bonn, Quito, Montevideo and Merida.

Mr. Nelson was born in Minnesota. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, and earned a Masters Degree in Economics at the University of Maryland. He speaks Spanish and German.

The US embassy is currently under Deputy Chief of Mission Robin Matthewman. She joined the Foreign Service in 1987 as an Economic Office and has served in Mexico City, Costa Rica, Moscow and in Honduras (2001-2004) as Economic and Commercial Counsellor. Most recently, as deputy director of the Office of Andean Affairs where she directly supervised the Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia desks.