Catherine Ebert-Gray

Former United States Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands.

What is Catherine Ebert-Gray known for?

Catherine Ebert-Gray is a distinguished American diplomat and proud alumna of Appleton West High School in Appleton, Wisconsin. Born in 1955 in Appleton, she showed early interest in history and the Pacific, inspired by her father who served in the Pacific theater. After high school, she earned her bachelor's degrees in International Relations and Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and later achieved a master's degree in National Resource Management from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.

Beginning her career as an analyst in the Hawaii State Legislature, Catherine joined the United States Foreign Service in 1988. She served in several international locations, such as Mali, Morocco, Togo, Egypt, Germany, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. Prior to her ambassadorial appointment, she was serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Administration's Office of Logistics Management since 2011.

Ebert-Gray was appointed as the United States Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 9, 2015. She assumed her duties on February 11, 2016, and served through November 17, 2019.

In her private life, Catherine is married to Australian Ian Gray, and they have two children. She is multilingual and proficient in English and French. For more information about Catherine Ebert-Gray and her exceptional career, visit her profile on the Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State or view her category on Wikimedia Commons.

Discover more about her roots in Appleton, Wisconsin and her journey from Appleton West High School to her distinguished diplomatic career.