[1] A career diplomat, McClelland has been assigned to U.S. embassies and consulates in London, United Kingdom; Hanoi, Vietnam; Riga, Latvia; Surabaya, Indonesia; Bali, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Baku, Azerbaijan; Dublin, Ireland; Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; and others.

McClelland was the Minister-counselor for economic affairs at the U.S. Embassy in London, serving as acting deputy chief of mission.

She previously served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassies in Vietnam and Latvia, and as consul general in Surabaya, Indonesia.

[2] McClelland also served as senior advisor to Richard Morningstar for Caspian Basin energy diplomacy.

[2] On July 16, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated McClelland to be the next United States ambassador to Brunei.