In November 2010, White was named United States ambassador to The Gambia by President Barack Obama.

[3] Born in Lewiston, Maine, White was raised in nearby Auburn.

She then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Maine in 1971.

Prior to her appointment as ambassador, White worked for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) beginning in 1978.

[4] With USAID, White served in Burkina Faso, Senegal and Haiti, Egypt and South Africa.