Kara McDonald

Kara C. McDonald is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Lithuania since 2024. She previously served as the deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor from 2020 to 2024.

Early life and education
McDonald was raised in Michigan. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and comparative literature from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Arts degree from The Fletcher School at Tufts University. She speaks French, Romanian, and Russian.

Career
Prior to joining the U.S. Department of State, McDonald was a Presidential Management Fellow at the United States Agency for International Development. McDonald is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Counselor. Previously, she was U.S. Consul General in Strasbourg and deputy permanent observer to the Council of Europe. She has also served as deputy chief of mission in Chișinău, Moldova, from 2015 to 2017 to serve as director of policy, planning, and coordination in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, deputy special coordinator for Haiti, director for United Nations and International Operations at the National Security Council, special assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and the Czech Republic desk. McDonald was also an international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations from 2009 to 2010. Her other overseas assignments include U.S. embassies in Bucharest and Port-au-Prince. From January 2021 to April 2022, she was designated to serve concurrently as the senior official to monitor and combat antisemitism for the Office of the Special Envoy. From 2020 to 2024, she served as the deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor.

United States ambassador to Lithuania
On March 20, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate McDonald to serve as the next United States ambassador to Lithuania. On March 21, 2023, her nomination was sent to the Senate. Hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on June 21, 2023. The committee favorably reported her nomination on July 13, 2023. On November 29, 2023, her nomination was confirmed in the Senate by voice vote. She presented her credentials to President Gitanas Nauseda on January 26, 2024.