Sandra Oudkirk

Sandra Springer Oudkirk is a United States diplomat currently serving as Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto embassy of the United States in Taiwan. She is the first woman to hold the role. Oudkirk's prior appointments include U.S. Senior Official for APEC and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Early life and education
Oudkirk was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She is a graduate of Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Career
Oudkirk started working for the US State Department in 1991. She has served consular assignments in Taipei and Dublin as well as assignments in Turkey, Jamaica, and China. Oudkirk's prior appointments include U.S. Senior Official for APEC and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. In October 2019, she attended the Pacific Islands Dialogue and the Yushan Forum where she emphasized the need for diplomatic ties between Taiwan and its Pacific allies.

American Institute in Taiwan
Oudkirk was appointed Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto embassy of the United States in Taiwan, on July 8, 2021. She is the first woman to hold the role. Oudkirk formally took office on July 15, 2021.

In a December 2023 interview with NPR, when asked if she believed a PRC invasion of Taiwan was imminent, Oudkirk stated: "There's an important distinction between making plans and training troops and actually, you know, getting ready to do something. And I think we have even heard from the PRC [People's Republic of China] themselves that their preference would be for a peaceful reunification. And the United States is confident that there is no imminent threat of invasion for Taiwan." Before Oudkirk left the AIT in early July 2024, Taiwan awarded her a Grand Medal of Diplomacy and the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon.

Personal life
Oudkirk is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Turkish. She is married to Scott McConnin Oudkirk, with whom she served at embassies in Beijing and Ankara. Their three children, Andy, Olivia and Thomas, were born in Turkey.