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Rena Bitter

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Rena Bitter
16th Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
In office
August 12, 2021 – January 20, 2025
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byCarl Risch
United States Ambassador to Laos
In office
November 1, 2016 – January 26, 2020
PresidentBarack Obama
Donald Trump
Preceded byDaniel A. Clune
Succeeded byPeter Haymond
Personal details
Born
Rena Elizabeth Bitter

(1964-03-23) March 23, 1964 (age 61)
EducationNorthwestern University (BS)
Southern Methodist University (JD)

Rena Elizabeth Bitter[1] is an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Laos from 2016 to 2020 and Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs from 2021 to 2025.[2]

Early life and education

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Bitter grew up in Dallas, Texas, one of three children of Frieda and Herb Bitter.[3] She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University in 1986 and a Juris Doctor from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in 1991.[4][5]

Career

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Bitter began her career in the U.S. Foreign Service in 1994. She served on the Department of State's Executive Secretariat Staff from 2000 to 2001, and served as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Secretary of State from 2001 to 2002. After that she served in London from 2002 to 2003 as a Transatlantic Diplomatic Fellow, and then as Chief of the Nonimmigrant Visa Unit in the Consular Section there. In her next assignment, Bitter was Consular Section Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan from 2006 to 2009. She then returned to domestic assignments at the Department of State's Operations Center from 2009 to 2012. As a result of her role in operations, Bitter was called as a witness in the court-martial of Bradley Manning (later Chelsea Manning),[6] a United States Army soldier who was subsequently convicted in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses, after disclosing to WikiLeaks nearly 750,000 classified, or unclassified but sensitive, military and diplomatic documents.[7]

From 2012 until she became Ambassador to Laos, Bitter served as Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.[4][5] She presented her credentials on November 1, 2016. Her mission terminated on January 26, 2020.[8]

On April 21, 2021, President Joe Biden announced Bitter as the nominee to be the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs.[9] Her nomination was sent to the Senate on April 28, 2021, and confirmed by voice vote on August 9, 2021.[10]

Personal life

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Bitter speaks Spanish, Arabic and Vietnamese.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Twentieth Annual Hooding of Candidates for the Degree of Juris Doctor and Presentation of Candidates for Other Degrees". Southern Methodist University School of Law. May 18, 1991. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  2. ^ "Rena Bitter". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "Rena Bitter". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts". The White House. May 18, 2016. Archived from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "U.S. Ambassador to Laos: Who Is Rena Bitter?". AllGov. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  6. ^ "Bradley Manning Trial: Lawyers Argue to Drop Some Charges". ABC News. June 7, 2012. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  7. ^ Manning, Chelsea E. (May 27, 2015). "The years since I was jailed for releasing the 'war diaries' have been a rollercoaster". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 10, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  8. ^ "Rena Bitter – Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  9. ^ "President Biden Announces Key Administration Nominations for National Security". The White House. April 21, 2021. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  10. ^ "PN493 – Nomination of Rena Bitter for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021–2022)". www.congress.gov. August 9, 2021. Archived from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  11. ^ Gawel, Anna (June 5, 2015). "Her Excellency Rena Bitter". Washington Diplomat. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
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