Bermuda’s new United States Consul General will be Mary Ellen Noonan Koenig, a career diplomat in the US Foreign Service.

She is the third career diplomat in succession to head up the Bermuda Consulate, a role that had previously been a political appointment.

She will arrive in late August to assume her responsibilities, a spokesman from the US Consulate has stated.

The most recent assignment for Ms Koenig, who joined the US Department of State in 1993, was as the cultural attaché at the US Embassy in Moscow. The consulate spokesman explained she oversaw one of the US Government’s largest public diplomacy programmes overseas, which included academic and professional exchanges, grants programmes, English language activities, and film and speaker programmes. Her other overseas posts have also focused on public diplomacy programming and included Pretoria, Berne and Berlin.

In Washington, she spent five years in the Bureau for Education and Cultural Affairs, as well as serving as the political desk officer for Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Before beginning her diplomatic career, Ms Koenig worked as a freelance writer and as a legislative assistant in the US House of Representatives.

She holds Master’s degrees from Washington University and the National Defence University, and received her Bachelor’s degree from Antioch College.

Ms Koenig will be joined in Bermuda by her husband, Robert, who is a writer and journalist. The Koenigs are from St Louis, Missouri, and have four adult children and one grandchild.

Ms Koenig replaces Bob Settje, who finishes his tour of duty this week and will depart Bermuda tomorrow. His next position will be as Consular Section Chief in Hong Kong.