Mikael (Mika) Cleverley currently serves as the Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., to the U.S. Mission to the African Union (USAU) and Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).  Prior his arrival to USAU in July 2022, Mikael served as the Deputy Director for Regional Affairs in the African Affairs Bureau of the U.S. Department of State, where he facilitated the Bureau’s multilateral engagement, foreign assistance, and strategic planning, as well as U.S. initiatives in Africa related to democracy and human rights.  His other diplomatic assignments include tours in Tel Aviv, Helsinki, Lusaka, Yaoundé, Geneva, and Washington.  Mikael has an MA in Strategic Security Studies from the National Defense University, as well as an MBA in international finance from the Helsinki School of Economics (now Aalto University) and a BA in comparative literature from Brigham Young University.  He is married to Rachel Cleverley, and they are the parents of four sons.