Amanda S. Jacobsen is a seasoned member of the U.S. Department of State’s Senior Foreign Service. Her recent role was as a Senior Advisor in the Bureau of African Affairs based in Washington, DC. Prior to this, she held the position of Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone, Botswana, where she also served as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim for an extended period. Jacobsen has also worked as the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Jacobsen's earlier roles include being the Spokesperson for the Bureau of African Affairs at the State Department and serving as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. Her diplomatic career includes assignments at the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal, first as Cultural Affairs Officer and later as Regional Refugee Coordinator. She has also been a Public Affairs Officer in Gaborone, Botswana, and a Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Lomé, Togo.
Jacobsen holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Puget Sound and a Master’s degree in International Relations from Brussels School of International Studies, University of Kent. She is proficient in Spanish and French and has basic knowledge of Nepali. Originally from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, she resides with her husband Cort Weber and their four children.