Michele Thoren Bond ’71 was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho last year at the Department of State. A career foreign service officer, Bond previously served as a deputy assistant secretary in Consular Affairs and a consul general in Amsterdam.

The Kingdom of Lesotho is a small country of just over 11,500 square miles completely surrounded by South Africa. It has a population of approximately two million people.

In a statement to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations last year, Bond said she looked forward to “advancing U.S. interests and partnering with Lesotho to fulfill its commitment to democracy, social services, and economic prosperity for all Basotho.” Lesotho has the third highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the world, and one of Bond’s primary goals will be to continue U.S. programs that train health care professionals, treat infected patients, and promote prevention of the disease.

She has served as ambassador since September.