Lisa D. Kenna

Kenna is the daughter of Air Force Colonel Andrew Joseph Dougherty{{cite web| url=https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CglEb3VnaGVydHkSBkFuZHJldw--/ |title=Dougherty, Andrew J |website=ANC Explorer |publisher=U.S. Army |access-date=2020-05-07}} and Marjorie Marie (Schrader) Dougherty.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1997/07/26/robert-w-barnett-us-diplomat-dies-at-85/90b6f45f-2576-4e35-82f3-e9e3e7d4a966/ |title=Andrew J. Dougherty |first=Louis |last=Estrada |date=July 26, 1997 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2020-05-07}} Kenna studied at Middlebury College and the University of Connecticut School of Law. She worked as an attorney in private practice before joining the Central Intelligence Agency.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}} She spent nine years with the CIA and then joined the Foreign Service.{{cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/kenna-lisa-republic-of-peru-may-2020/ |title=Kenna, Lisa - Republic of Peru - May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303072123/https://www.state.gov/kenna-lisa-republic-of-peru-may-2020/ |archive-date=March 3, 2024}}

She served as the Executive Secretary of the United States Department of State beginning in 2017, succeeding Joseph E. Macmanus, during Donald Trump's first term.{{Cite web|url=https://www.justsecurity.org/53757/personnel-crisis-awaiting-secretary-state/|title=The Personnel Crisis Awaiting the Next Secretary of State|first=Kate|last=Oh|date=March 14, 2018|website=Just Security}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20180626104543/https://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/283477.htm Lisa D. Kenna]

On October 1, 2019, a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit was issued by American Oversight, an American activist group, against the U.S. Department of State, requesting communications of a list of several officials including Kenna in connection to the Trump–Ukraine scandal.{{cite court|litigants=American Oversight, v. U.S. Department of State|court=D.D.C.|url=https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Rudy-Giuliani.pdf|access-date=October 4th, 2019}} In the same week, text messages were released, including a single text where Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland redirected Acting Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor to Kenna over concerns that Taylor held.[https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/03/politics/chairs-on-volker/index.html READ: Text messages between US diplomats and Ukrainians released by House Democrats] - CNN[https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/top-diplomat-ukraine-crazy-withhold-security-sasistance-political/story?id=66039011 'Crazy to withhold security assistance' to Ukraine for political campaign: Top US diplomat] - ABC News{{Undue weight inline|date=January 2025}}

On May 1, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Kenna to be the next United States Ambassador to the Republic of Peru. On May 6, 2020, her nomination was sent to the Senate.{{Cite web|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/one-nomination-sent-senate-12/|title=One Nomination Sent to the Senate – The White House|website=trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov}} On July 23, 2020, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.{{cite web |url=https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/nominations-072320 |title=Nominations |date=July 23, 2020 |website=U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations |access-date=2020-07-28}} On November 18, 2020, her nomination was confirmed in the United States Senate by voice vote.{{Cite web |date=2020-11-18 |title=PN1816 - Nomination of Lisa S. Kenna for Department of State, 116th Congress (2019-2020) |url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/116th-congress/1816 |access-date=2020-11-22 |website=www.congress.gov}}

Lisa Kenna presented her credentials to the President Francisco Sagasti on March 22, 2021{{cite web | url=https://www.peruweek.pe/embajadora-de-estados-unidos-en-peru-presento-sus-credenciales/ | title=✍️ Embajadora de Estados Unidos en Perú presentó sus credenciales | date=24 March 2021 }} On September 8, 2023, she was succeeded in the role by ad interim Chargé d'Affaires John T. McNamara.{{cite web | url=https://pe.usembassy.gov/deputy-chief-of-mission-john-t-mcnamara/ | title=Deputy Chief of Mission Joan Perkins | date=20 August 2024 }}

On January 20, 2025, President Trump, newly inaugurated for his second term, appointed Kenna to serve as Acting Secretary of State for an interim basis until the U.S. Senate voted to confirm President Trump's nominee, Senator Marco Rubio. Kenna only served less than 24 hours in her role as the Senate voted to confirm Senator Rubio to the position later that same evening, and was sworn in as Secretary of State the next day.

Lisa Kenna was married to Roger T. Kenna.{{cite web |url=https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/072320_Kenna_Testimony.pdf |title=Statement of Lisa Kenna, Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Peru |date=July 23, 2020 |publisher=U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations |access-date=2020-07-28}} She speaks Arabic, Persian and Urdu.{{Cite web |date=May 1, 2020 |title=President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts – The White House |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-intent-nominate-appoint-individuals-key-administration-posts-37/ |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=The White House}}

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• [https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/kenna-lisa-d Lisa D. Kenna at U.S. Department of State]

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Category:1965 births

Category:21st-century American diplomats

Category:21st-century American women civil servants

Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Peru

Category:American women ambassadors

Category:Biden administration personnel

Category:First Trump administration personnel

Category:Living people

Category:Middlebury College alumni

Category:Second Trump administration cabinet members

Category:United States Department of State officials

Category:University of Connecticut School of Law alumni