Press Releases

Arrival of New Staff at U.S. Embassy

September 15, 2004

The Embassy of the United States takes pleasure in announcing the arrival in Mauritius of our new American staff.  Mr. Stephen Schwartz, Ms. Kelly Hopkins, and Ms. Judith Semilota have joined us at the Embassy and will each be here for a three-year assignment. 

Stephen Schwartz arrived on August 12 and has assumed the post of Deputy Chief of Mission replacing Ms. Bisa Williams.  Mr. Schwartz has been a career Foreign Service Officer since 1992. Prior to his posting in Mauritius, he served as Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa.  From 1999-2001, he was an Economic/Commercial Officer at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba.  This followed a one-year assignment as Special Assistant for African and Western Hemisphere issues to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. Mr. Schwartz has also served two years in Washington as Desk Officer for Sudan. From 1995 to 1996 he served at the U.S. Embassy in Bujumbura, Burundi. His initial assignment in the Foreign Service was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Before joining the Foreign Service, Mr. Schwartz spent 5 years serving with the Peace Corps, as a volunteer in Cameroon (1981–1983) and as a Desk Officer at Peace Corps headquarters (1985-1988). 

Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Mr. Schwartz graduated Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in May 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.  He attended the International Graduate School in Stockholm, Sweden from 1983 to 1984 and received a master’s degree in African Studies in 1988 from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.  Mr. Schwartz is joined in Mauritius by his wife, Dr. Kristy Cook, and their children, Hannah Hagere Schwartz and Jonas Randolph Schwartz.

Kelly Hopkins, Office Management Specialist, arrived on August 19.  Ms. Hopkins has previously served in U.S. Missions in Korea, Cambodia, Costa Rica and, most recently, in Baghdad.  Her role here in Mauritius will be to serve as Executive Assistant to the Ambassador and as the Executive Office Manager.

The child of Foreign Service parents, Ms. Hopkins grew up "traveling all over the world."  In addition to her State Department assignments, she has lived in Canada, Spain, Canary Islands, Ecuador, and the UAE.  She graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Languages/Literature.

Judith Semilota, Management Officer, arrived on September 2.  Ms. Semilota has served with the U.S. Department of State since 1991.  Previously she served in U.S. Missions in the Marshall Islands, Namibia, and, most recently, in Tanzania.  In Mauritius, she will be responsible for the administration of the management section of the Embassy. 

Before joining the Foreign Service, Ms. Semilota served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, working for the Ministry of Health.  Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Ms. Semilota graduated from DePauw University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications.  Ms. Semilota is joined in Mauritius by her husband, Mr. Henry Semilota, and their children, Linest Anikje Semilota and Wade Malaki Semilota.