Carmen G. Cantor sworn in as DOI-IA assistant secretary

Washington, D.C. — Carmen G. Cantor was sworn in Thursday as Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs by Secretary Deb Haaland.

With decades of experience working as a diplomat and on issues critical to island communities, Carmen is ready to lead the Department’s mission to support Insular Areas and freely associated states by ensuring that they have the resources and support needed to address their unique needs and mitigate climate-related challenges, said Secretary Haaland.

“Growing up in Puerto Rico and having lived in the Federated States of Micronesia, I have a deep appreciation of the unique challenges faced by island and coastal communities,” said Assistant Secretary Cantor. “I’m thrilled to join the Department of the Interior to tackle these challenges through collaborative efforts across the federal government, territories, freely associated states and our international partners.”

Carmen most recently served as U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Federated States of Micronesia. Previously, she served in various roles within the Department of State.

She earned a B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico and an M.A. from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico.