Carmen G. Cantor

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Carmen G. Cantor

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Carmen G. Cantor, Assistant Secretary of the Interior.jpg

| office = Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular and International Affairs

| term_start = August 4, 2022

| term_end = January 18, 2025

| president = Joe Biden

| predecessor = Douglas Domenech

| successor = TBD

| ambassador_from1 = United States

| country1 = Federated States of Micronesia

| president1 = Donald Trump
Joe Biden

| term_start1 = January 31, 2020

| term_end1 = August 4, 2022

| predecessor1 = Robert Annan Riley III

| successor1 = Jennifer L. Johnson

| birth_name = Carmen G. Castro{{cite news |url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1997-12-21-9712200587-story.html |title=Marriage Licenses |date=December 21, 1997 |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel |access-date=February 17, 2020}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|02|23}}

| birth_place = Puerto Rico

| death_date =

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| spouse =

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| children =

| residence =

| education = University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (BA)
Interamerican University of Puerto Rico (MA)

| occupation =

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| signature =

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}}

Carmen G. Cantor (born February 23, 1968) is an American diplomat who served as the U.S. assistant secretary of the interior for insular affairs from 2022 to 2025. She previously served as the United States ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia.

Early life and education

Cantor was born in Puerto Rico and raised in the city of Mayagüez. Her father was a veteran of the United States Army.{{cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/116/crec/2019/11/20/modified/CREC-2019-11-20-pt1-PgS6714.htm |title=Executive Reports of Committees |date=November 20, 2019 |website=U.S. Congress |access-date=February 17, 2020}} After initially studying industrial engineering, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. She later earned a Master of Arts from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.[https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-intent-nominate-individuals-key-administration-posts-13/ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Individuals to Key Administration Posts" White House, July 15, 2019] {{PD-notice}}{{Cite web |date=September 30, 2021 |title=Island Diplomacy, from Mayagüez to Micronesia: The Journey of Esperanza of Ambassador Carmen Gloria Cantor - National Museum of American Diplomacy |url=https://diplomacy.state.gov/u-s-diplomacy-stories/ambassador-carmen-gloria-cantor/ |access-date=March 12, 2022 |language=en-US}}

Career

Cantor is a career member of the Senior Executive Service. Before joining the Department of State, Cantor served in the United States Postal Service. She later served as director of the Office of Civil Rights for the Foreign Agricultural Service, and as director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at the Federal Maritime Commission. Previous posts at the Department of State include being executive director of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and Bureau of International Information Programs from 2013 to 2016, executive director of the Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism from 2011 to 2013, and serving as deputy director for recruitment, examination, and employment. From 2016 to 2019, she was the director of civil service human resource management at the State Department.{{Cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/cantor-carmen-g-federated-states-of-micronesia-july-2019/ |title=Cantor, Carmen G. - Federated States of Micronesia - July 2019 |date=July 29, 2019 |website=United States Department of State |language=en-US |access-date=February 12, 2020}}

=Ambassador to Micronesia=

On July 15, 2019, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Cantor as the next ambassador to Micronesia. Her nomination was sent to the United States Senate on July 17, 2019.[https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/seven-nominations-sent-senate-4/ "Seven Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, July 17, 2019] Hearings on her nomination were held before the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on October 16, 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/101619_Cantor_Testimony.pdf|title=Statement by Carmen G. Cantor: Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia|publisher=Senate Foreign Relations Committee|date=October 16, 2019|access-date=February 12, 2020}} The committee favorably reported her nomination to the Senate floor on November 20, 2019. On December 19, 2019, her nomination was confirmed by voice vote.{{Cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/116th-congress/965 |title=PN965 - Nomination of Carmen G. Cantor for Department of State, 116th Congress (2019-2020) |date=December 19, 2019 |website=www.congress.gov |access-date=February 12, 2020}}

On January 31, 2020, she presented her credentials to President David W. Panuelo.{{Cite web |url=https://www.mvariety.com/regional-news/1417-us-envoy-presents-credentials-to-fsm-president |title=Marianas Variety - US envoy presents credentials to FSM president |date=February 4, 2020 |website=www.mvariety.com |access-date=February 12, 2020}}

=U.S Interior Department=

On March 11, 2022, Cantor was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as the assistant secretary of the interior for insular and international affairs.{{Cite web |date=March 11, 2022 |title=President Biden Announces Key Nominees |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/11/president-biden-announces-key-nominees-6/ |access-date=March 12, 2022 |website=The White House |language=en-US}} Hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate Energy Committee on April 28, 2022. The committee favorably reported the nomination to the Senate on June 14, 2022.{{cite web |title=Business Meeting: Pending Nominations |url=https://www.energy.senate.gov/hearings/2022/6/business-meeting-pending-nominations |website=U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources |access-date=14 June 2022 |language=en |date=14 June 2022}} She was confirmed by voice vote on July 20, 2022.{{cite web |title=PN1864 - Nomination of Carmen G. Cantor for Department of the Interior, 117th Congress (2021-2022) |url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/117th-congress/1864?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22cantor%22%2C%22cantor%22%5D%7D&s=4&r=1 |website=www.congress.gov |access-date=14 June 2022 |date=28 April 2022}}