Mary Ellen Countryman will arrive in Florence as Consul General in September, 2008. Her prior postings include St. Petersburg, Rangoon, Tokyo, Milan, Rome, and Washington, where she served as Senior Director for Public Affairs at the National Security Council, and Deputy White House Press Secretary.

A native of Washington State, she holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington, and a Masters of International Affairs from Columbia University. Prior to joining the diplomatic service, she worked as a television news producer in New York and Tokyo.

She is married to Benjamin Wohlauer, also a foreign service officer.

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