Since then, he has served both at Department of State facilities in Washington, DC and international assignments.

[3] Prior to his appointment as ambassador to Haiti, his international experience consisted of assignments in Paris, Brussels and Bonn.

[7] From 2017 to 2019, Merten served as the acting principal deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

[8] On June 8, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Merten to serve as the United States ambassador to Bulgaria.

[10] He was sworn in by Acting Deputy Secretary John R. Bass on February 3, 2023,[11] and presented his credentials to President Rumen Radev on April 7, 2023.