About Catherine E. Kay

Catherine E. Kay

Catherine E. Kay assumed her duties as U.S. Consul General in Thessaloniki on August 26, 2009.  Prior to coming to Greece, Ms. Kay served as Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa from 2005 to 2008.

Ms. Kay joined the Foreign Service in 1992 and has focused the bulk of her career on issues related to European security and integration, international human rights, and global nonproliferation efforts.  Her foreign postings have included South Africa, Slovenia, Canada and Romania.  In Washington, Ms. Kay has served in the State Department’s Executive Secretariat, the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, and the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

Ms. Kay holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and in International Affairs from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  She spent the 2004-2005 academic year as a Dean and Virginia Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, teaching seminars on a range of topics and mentoring students in the School of Foreign Service and the School of Business. 

Ms. Kay has received a variety of professional recognitions, including three Superior Honor Awards and three Meritorious Honor Awards.  She was an Aspen Institute TRANSFUSE Fellow from 1999-2000 and is a charter member of the TRANSFUSE Association.

A life-long Chicago Cubs fan, Ms. Kay is known for her perseverance and enduring optimism in the face of overwhelming adversity.  She and her husband have two children.