Ann M. Yastishock

Ann M. Yastishock
Ann M. Yastishock
	United States Ambassador to Vanuatu
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; April 16, 2024
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Erin Elizabeth McKee
Personal details
Nationality	American
Education	Widener University School of Law (JD)

Ann Marie Yastishock is an American diplomat who is serving as the United States ambassador to Papua New Guinea, along with the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Early life and education

Yastishock earned her

Widener University School of Law.^[1]

Career

Yastishock is a career member of the

Pacific. She oversaw USAID activities in South and Central Asia as the Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Asia. One of her assignments was as a government lawyer in Afghanistan.^[2] Prior assignments in USAID include serving as the Deputy Mission Director for the regional office of USAID covering Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, and Cyprus; Interim Deputy Mission Director for USAID Burma; deputy director of the USAID Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance; Senior Legal Advisor to USAID/Afghanistan; and Resident Legal Advisor to Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Before her tenure at USAID, Yastishock worked as a Rule of Law Liaison for the American Bar Association/Central and East European Law Initiative with the parliaments of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.^[1]

In February 2023, a government watchdog reported that several government officials, including Yastishock, were improperly serving in their roles.[3]

U.S. ambassadorship nomination

On July 11, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Yastishock to be the next ambassador to Papua New Guinea, serving concurrently as the ambassador to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.^[1] Her nomination was not acted upon for the rest of the year and was subsequently returned to Biden on January 3, 2023.^[4]

President Biden renominated her the next day. Hearings on her nomination were held before the

Governor General of Papua New Guinea Job Pomat on February 21, 2024.^[6] She presented credentials to the Acting Governor-General of Solomon Islands Patteson Oti on March 14, 2024.^[7] She presented credentials to President of Vanuatu Nikenike Vurobaravu on April 16, 2024.^[8]

Awards and recognitions

Yastishock is the recipient of numerous USAID performance awards.[1]

Personal life

Yastishock is a native of Pennsylvania and speaks Russian.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "President Biden Announces Key Nominees". The White House. July 11, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
^ Burger, T. W (July 5, 2010). "Central Pennsylvania lawyers who work in Afghanistan take war in stride, offer insight". pennlive. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
^ Katz, Eric (February 8, 2023). "3 Biden Officials Are Serving Unlawfully, a Watchdog Rules". Government Executive. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
^ "PN2308 - Nomination of Ann Marie Yastishock for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. July 11, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
^ "PN32 — Ann Marie Yastishock — Department of State 118th Congress (2023-2024)". US Congress. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
^ U.S. Embassy Port Moresby [@USEmbassyPOM] (February 22, 2024). "Ambassador Ann Marie Yastishock presented credentials to the Acting Governor General of Papua New Guinea, Hon. Job Pomat, MP, at the Government House" (Tweet). Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Twitter.
^ "US Ambassador to Solomon Islands presents Credentials to Acting Governor General". Solomon Islands Government. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
^ U.S. Embassy - Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (April 16, 2024). "U.S. Ambassador Ann Marie Yastishock delivered her credentials in Port Vila to Vanuatu President Nikenike Vurobaravu this afternoon". Facebook. Retrieved April 20, 2024.

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Erin Elizabeth McKee	United States Ambassador to Vanuatu 2024–present	Incumbent
	United States Ambassador to Papua New Guinea 2024–present
	United States Ambassador to the Solomon Islands 2024–present

[WHBio-1] "President Biden Announces Key Nominees". The White House. July 11, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.

[2] Burger, T. W (July 5, 2010). "Central Pennsylvania lawyers who work in Afghanistan take war in stride, offer insight". pennlive. Retrieved July 27, 2023.

[3] Katz, Eric (February 8, 2023). "3 Biden Officials Are Serving Unlawfully, a Watchdog Rules". Government Executive. Retrieved July 27, 2023.

[4] "PN2308 - Nomination of Ann Marie Yastishock for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. July 11, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.

[5] "PN32 — Ann Marie Yastishock — Department of State 118th Congress (2023-2024)". US Congress. Retrieved November 29, 2023.

[6] U.S. Embassy Port Moresby [@USEmbassyPOM] (February 22, 2024). "Ambassador Ann Marie Yastishock presented credentials to the Acting Governor General of Papua New Guinea, Hon. Job Pomat, MP, at the Government House" (Tweet). Retrieved March 18, 2024 – via Twitter.

[7] "US Ambassador to Solomon Islands presents Credentials to Acting Governor General". Solomon Islands Government. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.

[8] U.S. Embassy - Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (April 16, 2024). "U.S. Ambassador Ann Marie Yastishock delivered her credentials in Port Vila to Vanuatu President Nikenike Vurobaravu this afternoon". Facebook. Retrieved April 20, 2024.

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