Ambassador Stephanie S. Sullivan retires after 40 plus years of service to USA

Ambassador Stephanie S. Sullivan has hosted a farewell reception on December 10, 2025 marking her retirement after more than 40 years of distinguished service in service to the United States of America.

During her tenure as U.S. Ambassador to the African Union, she strengthened the U.S.–AU relationship and advanced our shared priorities.

At the event Ambassador Sullivan stated, “As I retire from the Foreign Service, I do so with deep gratitude. The partnership between the United States and the AU, as well as with people across this extraordinary continent, has made our collective success possible and laid the foundation for future achievements.”

Stephanie S. Sullivan, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor was sworn in as US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ghana on November 30, 2018.

She formerly served as Ambassador to the Republic of Congo (2013-2017). Ms. Sullivan has spent half of her 32-year career in the Foreign Service working in Africa or on Africa policy in Washington, D.C.

Most recently, she was the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. after having been Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central African Affairs and Security Affairs from January to August 2017.

2019 was Ambassador Sullivan’s second tour in Ghana. She previously served as the Political Chief at U.S. Embassy Accra from 1997-2001. Ms. Sullivan is very pleased to be back in Ghana. She ended her second tour in 2022.

She and her husband John Sullivan have fond memories of living in Ghana with their two sons. Ambassador Sullivan’s early experiences in Africa were with the Peace Corps, serving as a volunteer in the Democratic Republic of Congo (1980-1983) and later as Peace Corps Chief of Operations for the Africa Region from 1994-96 in Washington, D.C.