Jo Ellen Powell

Jo Ellen Powell (born 1953)[1] is a career member of the United States Foreign Service who served as Consul General in Frankfurt, Germany and was nominated as the US ambassador to Mauritania by Barack Obama on July 15, 2010.

[2] She has been known in Frankfurt for her active engagement with Germany's Muslim community,[3] as well as with students, through the "Windows on America" program.

She is married to Stephen Engelken, also a career diplomat and current deputy chief of mission to Islamabad in Pakistan, with whom she has a son.

She spent time in Panama, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, India, Iran, and Laos during her youth.

I am grateful they have agreed to serve in these important roles, and I look forward to working with them to strengthen our global partnerships.