The White House announced Carmen G. Cantor has been nominated to lead as assistant secretary of the insular and international affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior in a March 11 news release.
If confirmed, Cantor will work to care for the territories of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the release.
"The territories are an integral part of the fabric of America, and the freely associated states are uniquely interwoven with the United States in terms of a shared history, ongoing partnership, and a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said. “Carmen’s extensive experience as a diplomat will help ensure that insular areas have the resources and support they need to mitigate climate-related challenges, address critical infrastructure projects, and promote economic development.”
Cantor is currently serving as ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia. According to the U.S. Embassy in the Federated States of Micronesia, Cantor served as the leadership liaison and as a past president of the Department of State’s Hispanic employee affinity group, HECFAA.
As shown on her Linkedin profile, Cantor has a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaquez campus; a Master of Arts in labor relations from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico; and a professional certificate focused in international migration studies from Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies. She has worked in the State Department for more than 10 years.
She has experience in several positions within the State Department, including as the executive director of the Bureaus of Educational and Cultural Affairs and Bureau of International Information Programs, executive director of the Bureau of Counterterrorism, director of the Office of Civil Service Human Resource Management and as deputy director in the Office of Recruitment, Examination and Employment.
