December the 7th, 2023 – Nathalie Rayes has been named the new US Ambassador to Croatia.
As Branka Slavica/HRT/HRT vijesti writes, the Senate has now confirmed the appointment of Nathalie Rayes to the position of US Ambassador to Croatia.
All Democratic senators voted for the influential Democrat of Latin American origin, and Republicans Lisa Murkowski from the state of Alaska and Susan Collins from the state of Maine joined them. 47 Republican senators were against it.
Nathalie Rayes was born in Venezuela, but raised and educated in the US state of California.
President Joe Biden nominated her to the position of leading American diplomat in the Republic of Croatia back in May of this year.
In the explanation of this nomination, the White House stated that 48-year-old Nathalie Rayes has enjoyed a long and successful career in numerous leading positions in the field of international politics, cultural exchange, strengthening civil society, media and public relations (PR).
Until recently, she was the executive director of the “Latino Victory” organisation, co-founded by actress Eva Longoria, which promotes greater political influence of the Latin American community in the USA. She is the vice president of the Hispanic Federation and a board member of the progressive organisation Planned Parenthood.
The Senate, at the suggestion of the current administration, also appointed Rayes as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Institute for Peace. She was also engaged in the Obama administration.
She started her political career in the office of the mayor of Los Angeles, James K. Hahn. While working at the mayor’s office, she managed the office of intergovernmental relations, international trade and protocol, and established the first Office of Immigrant Affairs in Los Angeles.
Rayes otherwise holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of California, Los Angeles. In addition to English, she speaks fluent Spanish and conversational Arabic. She is married and has two children.
