Simon Henshaw

{{Infobox ambassador

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Simon Henshaw

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Simon_Henshaw_official_photo.jpg

| alt =

| order =

| ambassador_from = United States

| country = Guinea

| appointer = Donald Trump

| term_start = March 4, 2019

| term_end = June 9, 2020

| predecessor = Dennis B. Hankins

| successor = Troy D. Fitrell

| birth_date = October 7, 1960

| birth_place = England{{cite web |title=Simon Henshaw |url=https://www.harvardpress.com/News/Obituaries/ArtMID/4533/ArticleID/21116/Simon-Henshaw |website=Harvard Press |access-date=6 August 2020 |date=18 June 2020}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|6|9|1960|10|7}}

| death_place = Guinea

| nationality = American

| spouse = Jackie Henshaw

| party =

| relations =

| children = Maddie Henshaw
Sandy Henshaw

| residence =

| education = University of Massachusetts Amherst (B.A.)
National War College (M.S.)

| occupation =

| profession =

| signature =

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| website =

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}}

Simon Henshaw (October 7, 1960 – June 9, 2020) was an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Guinea from 2019 until his death.{{cite web |title=Mike Pompeo: On the Passing of Ambassador Simon Henshaw |url=https://www.stl.news/mike-pompeo-on-the-passing-of-ambassador-simon-henshaw/328730/ |website=STL News |access-date=6 August 2020}}

Education

He graduated from The Bromfield School in 1978. Henshaw earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Science from the National War College.[https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-intent-nominate-personnel-key-administration-posts-58/ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts" White House, August 10, 2018] {{PD-notice}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.bciu.org/events/guinea-briefing-honorable-simon-henshaw-ambassador-designate-united-states-republic-guinea |title=GUINEA: Briefing with The Honorable Simon Henshaw, Ambassador-Designate of the United States to the Republic of Guinea |date=January 30, 2019 |website=www.bciu.org |access-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116063551/https://www.bciu.org/events/guinea-briefing-honorable-simon-henshaw-ambassador-designate-united-states-republic-guinea |url-status=dead }}

Career

File:Alpha Conde and Simon Henshaw - COVID-19.jpg Alpha Condé in April 2020 to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic in Guinea.]]

Henshaw was a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, and served as an American diplomat since 1985.{{cite web |title=Press Statement Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State June 10, 2020 |url=https://mr.usembassy.gov/on-the-passing-of-ambassador-simon-henshaw/ |website=U.S. Embassy in Mauritania |access-date=6 August 2020 |date=10 June 2020}} He served in senior leadership positions at the Department of State, including, from 2013 to 2018 at the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, first as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and, starting in 2017, as Acting Assistant Secretary.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/14/us-diplomat-in-charge-of-refugee-issues-quits-amid-trump-shakeup |title=US diplomat in charge of refugee issues quits amid Trump shakeup |date=January 14, 2018 |website=The Guardian |language=en-GB |access-date=January 16, 2020}} From 2011 to 2013, he served as Director of the Office of Andean Affairs, and, from 2008 to 2011, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He also served at five other overseas diplomatic posts. Prior to his ambassadorship he was a senior advisor to the Health Incidents Response Task Force for the Cuba Accountability Review Board at the Department of State, coordinating efforts to respond to a series of health and security incidents affecting United States diplomats in Cuba and China.

On August 10, 2018, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Henshaw as the next United States Ambassador to Guinea. On August 16, 2018, his nomination was sent to the United States Senate.{{Cite web|title=Nineteen Nominations and Two Withdrawals Sent to the Senate Today|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/nineteen-nominations-two-withdrawals-sent-senate-today/|access-date=2020-06-11|via=National Archives|work=whitehouse.gov|language=en-US}} On September 26, 2018, he appeared before the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.{{cite web|url=https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/092618_Henshaw_Testimony.pdf|title=Statement of Simon Henshaw Nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea|publisher=Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|date=September 26, 2018|access-date=January 16, 2020}} On January 2, 2019, his nomination was confirmed in the Senate by voice vote.{{Cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/115th-congress/2391 |title=PN2391 - Nomination of Simon Henshaw for Department of State, 115th Congress (2017-2018) |date=January 2, 2019 |website=www.congress.gov |access-date=January 16, 2020}} He presented his credentials to President Alpha Condé on March 4, 2019.{{Cite web |url=https://gn.usembassy.gov/u-s-ambassador-presents-letters-of-accreditation-to-president-alpha-conde-2/ |title=U.S. Ambassador Presents Letters of Accreditation to President Alpha Condé |date=March 6, 2019 |website=U.S. Embassy in Guinea |language=en-US |access-date=January 16, 2020}}{{Cite web |url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/henshaw-simon |title=Simon Henshaw - People - Department History - Office of the Historian |website=history.state.gov |access-date=January 16, 2020}}

Personal life

Henshaw spoke French, Spanish, basic Russian, and basic Portuguese. He died of a heart attack on June 9, 2020, in Guinea while serving as the U.S. Ambassador.[https://www.africaguinee.com/articles/2020/06/09/l-ambassadeur-des-etats-unis-en-guinee-simon-henshaw-est-mort-conakry L’ambassadeur des Etats-Unis en Guinée, Simon Henshaw, est mort à Conakry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615193534/https://www.africaguinee.com/articles/2020/06/09/l-ambassadeur-des-etats-unis-en-guinee-simon-henshaw-est-mort-conakry |date=2020-06-15 }} {{in lang|fr}}{{Cite web|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=2020-06-10|title=US ambassador to Guinea dies|url=https://thehill.com/policy/international/africa/502043-us-ambassador-to-guinea-dies|access-date=2020-06-11|website=The Hill|language=en}}