List of ambassadors of the United States to Botswana
# List of ambassadors of the United States to Botswana

From 1885 until 1966 the area of Southern Africa that is now Botswana was part of the Bechuanaland Protectorate of Great Britain.

In June 1964, Britain accepted proposals for democratic self-government in Botswana. The seat of government was moved from Mahikeng in South Africa, to newly established in Gaberones (now Gaborone) in 1965. The 1965 constitution led to the first general elections and to independence on September 30, 1966.

The United States immediately recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations. An embassy in Gaberones was established on September 30, 1966—independence day for Botswana. Charles H. Pletcher was appointed as Chargé d'affaires ad interim pending the appointment of an ambassador. He served June 1970–September 1971.

## Ambassadors

* Note: Charles H. Pletcher served as chargé d'affaires September 1966–June 1970. W. Kennedy Cromwell III

| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Charles J. Nelson – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | June 9, 1971 | November 3, 1971 | Left Gaborone, March 2, 1974 | |
| David B. Bolen – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | February 28, 1974 | April 22, 1974 | Left Gaborone, August 11, 1976 | |
| Donald R. Norland – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | November 17, 1976 | February 23, 1978 | Left Gaborone, September 8, 1979 | In 1979 the first ambassador was appointed solely for Botswana. |
| Horace Dawson – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | October 12, 1979 | November 27, 1979 | August 27, 1982 | |
| Theodore C. Maino – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | September 30, 1982 | December 2, 1982 | September 6, 1985 | |
| Natale H. Bellocchi – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | October 28, 1985 | November 19, 1985 | September 16, 1988 | |
| John Florian Kordek – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | August 11, 1988 | September 29, 1988 | November 1, 1989 | |
| David Passage – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | June 27, 1990 | August 7, 1990 | April 29, 1993 | |
| Howard Franklin Jeter – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 16, 1993 | September 9, 1993 | June 21, 1996 | |
| Robert Krueger – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | June 6, 1996 | July 23, 1996 | December 6, 1999 | |
| John E. Lange – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | November 16, 1999 | December 15, 1999 | August 8, 2002 | |
| Joseph Huggins – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | November 15, 2002 | January 28, 2003 | July 26, 2005 | |
| Katherine H. P. Canavan – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | August 2, 2005 | September 27, 2005 | June 27, 2008 | |
| Stephen J. Nolan – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | June 23, 2008 | October 6, 2008 | June 13, 2011 | |
| Michelle D. Gavin – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | April 18, 2011 | June 20, 2011 | February 22, 2014 | |
| Earl Robert Miller – Foreign Service Specialist | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | December 2014 | December 18, 2014 | September 24, 2018 | |
| Craig L. Cloud - Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | January 7, 2019 | April 2, 2019 | May 24, 2022 | |
| Howard Van Vranken - Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | December 21, 2022 | May 24, 2023 | Incumbent | |
