Lynda Blanchard nominated for new US ambassador in Slovenia
Maribor, 21 June - The White House has announced that US President Donald Trump has nominated entrepreneur and humanitarian activist Lynda Blanchard of Alabama for the new US ambassador in Slovenia. The nomination needs to be confirmed in the Senate, which has yet to call a hearing at the Committee on Foreign Relations.
According to the White House, Blanchard is a co-founder of the development foundation 100X, which is looking for creative solutions for the elimination of poverty and improving lives of children around the world.
She has also co-founded the real estate investment management company B&M, where she currently works as a senior advisor.
As part of her work in the 100X foundation, Blanchard has been active in Africa, Asia and South America, helping open orphanages and food production companies and managing sustainable development programmes.
Having been an advocate of people with special needs for almost 20 years, she has volunteered in NGO committees and supported numerous educational programmes in Alabama. She has also helped families interested in adopting children.
Lynda "Lindy" Blanchard is the mother of seven children, of which four were adopted abroad. She has a degree in mathematics and computer science from the Auburn University.
The announcement comes after the US Embassy in Slovenia said earlier this month that Ambassador Brent Hartley will end his three-year term in July.
Until the appointment of the full-fledged successor to the career diplomat Hartley, who has been in Slovenia since February 2015, the embassy will be headed by a chargé d'affaires.
The first unofficial candidate for Hartley's successor was Kelly Roberts, a California hotel owner, who was reportedly the pick of the Slovenia-born First Lady Melania Trump.
The Politico news portal reported last September that Roberts had withdrawn her name from consideration.