Mark Toner
{{Short description|American diplomat (born 1964)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Mark Toner
| image = Mark Toner, U.S. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission.jpg
| ambassador_from = United States
| country = Liberia
| president = Joe Biden
Donald Trump
| term_start = August 7, 2024
| term_end =
| predecessor = Catherine Rodriguez (acting)
| successor =
| office1 = 26th Spokesperson for the United States Department of State
| president1 = Donald Trump
| term_start1 = January 20, 2017
| term_end1 = April 24, 2017
| predecessor1 = John Kirby
| successor1 = Heather Nauert
| office2 = Deputy Spokesperson for the United States Department of State
| president2 = Barack Obama
Donald Trump
| term_start2 = June 1, 2015
| term_end2 = May 2017
| predecessor2 = Marie Harf
| successor2 =
| office3 =
| term_start3 = May 2011
| term_end3 = June 2013
Acting: January 2010 – April 2011{{cite web|title=Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Press Releases (2011)|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/p/eur/rls/prsrl/c41202.htm|publisher=United States Department of State|access-date=March 19, 2017}}{{cite web|title=Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Press Releases (2009–2017)|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/prsrl/index.htm|publisher=United States Department of State|access-date=March 26, 2017}}
| president3 = Barack Obama
| predecessor3 = Robert A. Wood{{cite web|title=Wood, Robert A. (ca. 1966– )|url=http://www.blackpast.org/aah/wood-robert-ca-1966|date=August 19, 2014|access-date=March 19, 2017}}
| successor3 = Marie Harf
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1964}}
| birth_place = United States
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = University of Notre Dame
Industrial College of the Armed Forces
}}
Mark Christopher Toner{{cite book |url=http://www.archives.nd.edu/Commencement/1986-05-18_Commencement.pdf |title=1986 Commencement |date=May 16–18, 1986 |page=39 |publisher=The University of Notre Dame du Lac |access-date=January 16, 2021}} (born 1964) is a U.S. Foreign Service officer and former Spokesperson for the United States Department of State.{{cite web|title=State Department's resumed briefing strives for normal|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/state-department-briefings-mark-toner-235794|work=Politico|date=March 7, 2017|access-date=March 19, 2017|last=Toosi|first=Nahal}}{{cite web|title=Trump State Department defends influence at first press briefing|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/politics/state-department-briefings-resume/|publisher=CNN|date=March 7, 2017|access-date=March 26, 2017|last=Koran|first=Laura}} He has served as the United States ambassador to Liberia since 2024.{{cite web |title=President Biden Announces Key Nominees |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/03/27/president-biden-announces-key-nominees-41/ |website=The White House |access-date=29 April 2023 |date=27 March 2023}}
Early life and education
Toner was raised in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, graduating from the Salesianum School in nearby Wilmington, Delaware in 1982.{{cite book |title=Salesian 82 |date=1982 |volume=38 |page=197 |publisher=Salesianum School |location=Wilmington, Delaware}} He earned a B.A. degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1986 and later studied journalism at the University of California at Berkeley. Toner received a graduate degree from the National Defense University’s Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He was also a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia.{{cite web|title=Mark C. Toner|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/242958.htm|publisher=United States Department of State|date=June 1, 2015|access-date=January 16, 2021}}
Career
As a career Foreign Service Officer, Toner served overseas in West Africa and Europe. Toner was the Information Officer in Dakar, Senegal, the Public Affairs Officer in Kraków, Poland, and the Spokesman for the U.S. Mission to NATO, in Brussels, Belgium. In Washington, Toner worked as a senior advisor for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; as a Senior Watch Officer in the Department's Operations Center; and as the Director of the European Bureau’s Press and Public Outreach Division.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
=State Department deputy spokesperson=
Toner was deputy spokesperson for the State Department from 2010 to 2013, serving with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland.{{cite web|title=Senior Diplomat Mark C. Toner Returns to Foggy Bottom Podium as Deputy Spox|url=https://diplopundit.net/2015/05/26/senior-diplomat-mark-c-toner-returns-to-the-podium-as-deputy-spox/|publisher=Diplopundit|date=May 26, 2015|access-date=March 19, 2017}} Toner became Deputy Spokesperson again on June 1, 2015.{{Cite web |last=Spero |first=Domani |date=2017-05-01 |title=@StateDept Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner Says Goodbye |url=https://diplopundit.net/2017/05/01/statedept-deputy-spokesperson-mark-toner-says-goodbye/ |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=Diplopundit |language=en-US}} Following Rear Admiral John Kirby's departure as the Department's Chief Spokesperson on January 20, 2017, Toner became Acting Spokesperson.{{cite web|last=Mills|first=Curt|title=State Senior Management All Asked to Leave, Report Says|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-01-26/trump-ordered-slew-of-senior-state-department-resignations-report-says|work=U.S. News & World Report|date=January 26, 2017|access-date=March 7, 2017}} He announced the pass of the spokesperson baton to Heather Nauert on April 27, 2017.{{cite web|title=Department Press Briefing – April 27, 2017|url=https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2017/04/270502.htm|website=U.S. Department of State|access-date=July 15, 2017}}
=U.S. ambassador to Liberia=
On March 27, 2023, President Joe Biden nominated Toner to be the next ambassador to Liberia. He was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote on May 2, 2024. He arrived in Monrovia on August 2, 2024.{{cite web | url=https://lr.usembassy.gov/ambassador-mark-c-toner/ | title=Ambassador Mark C. Toner | date=August 2, 2024 }} Toner presented his credentials to Liberian President Joseph Boakai on August 7, 2024.{{cite web|url=https://frontpageafricaonline.com/opinion/press-release/u-s-ambassador-to-liberia-mark-toner-presents-his-credentials-to-president-joseph-boakai/|title=U.S. Ambassador to Liberia Mark Toner Presents His Credentials to President Joseph Boakai|publisher=FrontPage Africa|date=August 7, 2024|access-date=August 7, 2024}}
Personal life
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{C-SPAN|9267214}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toner, Mark}}
Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Liberia
Category:Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy alumni
Category:National Defense University alumni
Category:People from Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania
Category:Salesianum School alumni
Category:University of Notre Dame alumni
Category:United States Foreign Service personnel