Ambassador Gillian Milovanovic has been appointed chairwoman of the Kimberley Process in 2012, as the U.S. takes over the certification scheme, JCK has learned.
Milovanovic has a varied diplomatic career that includes stints as ambassador to Mali and Macedonia. She has also held senior positions in the American embassies of South Africa, Botswana, and Belgium—important spots on the diamond map.
She is the first woman to head the organization.
In a letter announcing her appointment, assistant secretary of state for economic, energy, and business affairs José W. Fernandez said the U.S. hopes to nurture a spirit of “consultation, collaboration, and transparency” in the KP.