New US Ambassador to Panama

THE NEW  US Ambassaador to Panama,  John D. Feeley,  will present his credentials to President Juan Carlos Varela on Tuesday, February 16.

The ceremony, in the yellow room of the Presidency, will be followed by a press conference.

Feeley, was nominated for the post on July 28, 2015 President Barack Obama and ratified by the Senate on Dec. 9,

He replaces Jonathan Farrar, who arrived in Panama in May 2012 and left the post in June 2015.

Feeley is a senior officer in the foreign service and has worked in both Washington and the region.

In May 2012, he assumed the post of principal assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs and  worked on the implementation of the Merida initiative to combat drug trafficking in Mexico.

In May 2012 he took over as principal deputy assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs. He worked on the implementation of the Merida Initiative to combat drug trafficking in Mexico Before joining the State Department in 1990, Feeley was a US Navy helicopter pilot. He graduated from Georgetown University, Washington.