Karen Brevard Stewart is a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service. In July 2006, President Bush nominated her to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Belarus, and she was sworn in by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on September 8. In July 2008, Ambassador Stewart became Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL).
A native of Florida, Ms. Stewart joined the Foreign Service in 1977. She has served overseas in Bangkok, Thailand; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Vientiane, Laos (twice); Udorn, Thailand; Islamabad, Pakistan; and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Minsk, Belarus.
Her Washington assignments have included tours as international relations officer in the Office of Fisheries Affairs, economic officer in the Office of Energy Consuming Countries, and economic/commercial desk officer in the Office of Israel and Arab-Israeli Affairs. Most recently, she was the Director of the Office of Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus Affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.
Ms. Stewart graduated with a B.A. in astronomy and economics from Wellesley College and pursued further studies in astronomy at the University of Virginia. In 1998, she received an M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National War College of the National Defense University at Ft. McNair.
Ms. Stewart speaks Thai, Lao, and Russian. She is the recipient of Department of State Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards. In December 2007, Ambassador Stewart was presented the Department’s first Diplomacy for Freedom Award for her Embassy’s work in Belarus.
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