Barbados

•Donna Forde assumed the position of first secretary on Feb. 3, replacing Joyce Bourne, who departed the post on Dec. 20 to assume the position of deputy consul-general in the Barbados Consulate-General in Miami. Forde previously served as first secretary in the Barbados Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

Bolivia

•Jorge E. Velazquez assumed the position of civil commercial attaché on Feb. 3. He previously served as head of the division of analysis and sector investigation of the Department of Exports Promotion in the Ministry of Trade and Investment. Velazquez holds a bachelor of science degree in international trade and economics and a master of science degree in international economic integration.

Botswana

•Lapologang Caesar Lekoa became ambassador of Botswana to the United States on Dec. 9. Ambassador Lekoa has served as the high commissioner of Botswana to Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda since 1996. He also previously served as director of international relations at the Department of Foreign Affairs (1992-95), counselor and head of chancery (1987-91) and first secretary (1984-85) at the Botswana Embassy and Mission to the European Union in Belgium, first secretary to the Botswana High Commission in London (1985-87), and second secretary (1980-84) and third secretary (1977-80) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Lekoa holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science and administration from the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. He is married with two children.

•Laolang Laly Sebogiso assumed the position of training attaché on Jan. 20. Sebogiso previously served as the principal personnel officer of training and development in the Directorate of Public Service Management for the Botswana government. He holds a master’s degree in human resources management and industrial relations from the New York Institute of Technology.

Chile

•Roberto Alonso assumed the position of deputy chief of mission-minister counselor, replacing Daniel Carvallo.

•Jorge Castillo departed the post of labor attaché.

•Eduardo Gálvez assumed the position of counselor, replacing Frederick Heller.

•Verónica López assumed the position of cultural affairs counselor.

Côte d’Ivoire

•Dodiar Dja-Kouadio assumed the position of consular and cultural affairs counselor on Nov. 4, replacing Akeo Severin Mathias, who departed the post on Sept. 30 after nine years. Dja-Kouadio previously served as deputy director of the Middle East division (1999-2000) and the International Cooperation Organizers (2002) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and as counselor for the embassies of Egypt (1984-86), Nigeria (1987), Liberia (1989-90), and Israel (1992-98).

•Ehut Leonard departed the post of commercial counselor on Sept. 30 after two years.

•Martine Liade assumed the position of tourism counselor on Dec. 16, replacing Desbhy Kouakou Edmond, who departed the post on Sept. 30 after 18 years. Liade previously worked as a journalist and production assistant for RTI, an Ivorian television station.

Czech Republic

•Marcel Audy departed the post of consular third secretary on Nov. 14.

•Martin Klucar assumed the position of consular second secretary on Dec. 4. Klucar previously served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2001 to 2002 and as consul for the Czech Republic consulate-general in Los Angeles from 1996 to 2001.

•Brig. Gen. Jan Petras assumed the position of defense, military and air attaché on Feb. 3, replacing Maj. Gen. Rostislav Kotil, who departed the post on Feb. 3.

Kazakhstan

•Talgat Kaliyev departed the post of first secretary on Jan. 9.

•Askar Tazhiev assumed the position of counselor on Jan. 10. Tazhiev previously served as the head of the Americas Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kazakhstan from 1999 to 2003.

Lesotho

•Tumelo Raboletsi assumed the position of first secretary on Jan. 30, replacing Retselisitsoe Moea, who assumed the position of counselor at the Lesotho U.N. Mission in February. Raboletsi previously served as administrative assistant secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

New Zealand

•Winton Holmes assumed the position of administrative counselor and consul-general on Jan. 13, replacing Greta van Zanten, who departed the post on Jan. 15 after four years. Holmes previously served as director of property and capital management and director of management services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Wellington, New Zealand.

Suriname

•Rabinder Lala assumed the position of counselor on Feb. 1. Lala previously served as the deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice and Police in Suriname from 1995 to 2003.

Ukraine

•Gennadiy Salykin assumed the position of first secretary on Feb. 2, replacing Olha Ostroverkhova, who departed the post on Feb. 28. Salykin previously served as a personal assistant to the deputy state secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as first secretary for the U.S. and Canada desk at the ministry. Salykin also served as third and second secretary at the Embassy of Ukraine in Spain. Ostroverkhova, an expert on arms control, previously served in various positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States.

Venezuela

•Bernardo Alvarez Herrera became ambassador of Venezuela to the United States on Jan. 27. Ambassador Herrera previously served as vice minister of hydrocarbons (2000-03) and director-general of hydrocarbons (1999-2000) at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, director of cooperation at the Universidad Central de Venezuela (1993-94), executive secretary and Venezuelan representative for the Forum on Debt and Development (1988-91), and chief of the Research and Development Division at the Venezuelan Institute of Foreign Trade (1986-87). He has also been a professor at the School of Political and Administrative Studies at the Universidad Central de Venezuela since 1982 and has held numerous positions within the university as well. Ambassador Herrera holds a degree in political science from the Universidad Central de Venezuela and a master’s degree in development studies from the University of Sussex, England. He speaks Spanish, English and French and is married with three children.