US Ambassador Charles Manatt announced he will be leaving the post effective 1 March. Manatt, a political appointee and former fund-raiser for former President Bill Clinton had arrived to the DR in December 1999. The DR had been several years without an ambassador when he arrived. A similar situation will now be in place. Ms. Janice L. Jacobs, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy since July 2000 will be acting ambassador until the time when President Bush appoints, and the US Congress approves a new ambassador. Prior to her Santo Domingo appointment, Jacobs was the Director of the Office of Field Support and Liaison in the State Department’s Visa Office. From 1995-1998, she served as the Deputy Director in the Office of Cuban Affairs. She has been with the Foreign Service since 1980 after years of overseas experience as a foreign service dependent. She grew up in Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Mexico, Nigeria and Thailand. She received a BA in French and Education from Southern Illinois University in 1968 and a Master’s in National Security Strategy from the National War College in 1995. Jacobs’s other past assignments have included serving as a Senior Watch Officer in the State Department’s Operations Center. Also as Principal Officer at the US Consulate in Matamoros, Mexico and as a consular office at various posts. While in Matamoros, Janice became involved in a number of cross-border community projects involving environmental groups from Mexico and the U.S. Janice is married and has two sons, Eric and Kurt. Eric is a Foreign Service Officer (third generation) who recently completed a tour in Paramaribo, Suriname. Kurt is an aspiring actor living in New York City. Her husband, Ken Friedman, is a senior civilian personnel specialist with the Department of Navy.
