Full Name: Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat

Date of Birth: 1953

Nationality: American

Profile:

Marcia Bernicat (born 1953) is an American diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Bangladesh. She was born and grew up in Tinton Falls, N.J. and graduated from Monmouth Regional High School. In 1975 she earned a B.A. from Lafayette College, where she majored in history. Through work with her mentor and thesis advisor, she became particularly interested in the League of Nations and the relationship between the United States and the United Nations. She earned an M.S. from Georgetown University in 1980.

Bernicat, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, is serving as Senior Official for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment and Acting Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. Prior to this, she served as a Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment from 2020-2021 and as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs from 2019-2020.

Ambassador Bernicat served as Ambassador to Bangladesh from 2015-2018.  She was nominated by President Obama May 2014 and confirmed by the Senate on November 18, 2014. She served as Ambassador to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau from 2008 to 2011. Previously she was Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Human Resources, a position she held from 2012-2015. Domestically she served in the Department of State as Office Director for India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs from 2006-2008; and from 2004-2006 as the Senior-Level Director and Career Development Officer in the Bureau of Human Resources. Bernicat was Deputy Chief of Mission twice at the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados from 2001-2004 and at the U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe, Malawi from 1998-2001. She was Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Casablanca, Morocco from 1995-1998, Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India from 1992-1995 and Desk Officer for Nepal and India in the Bureau of Near East and South Asian Affairs from 1988-1990.

Earlier in her career, Ambassador Bernicat was Special Assistant to Deputy Secretary of State John Whitehead, Watch Officer in the Department’s Operations Center, Consular Officer in Marseille, France, and Political/Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Bamako, Mali. She is the recipient of the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award and numerous other Department awards.

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