United States Ambassador to the Somali Democratic Republic Nomination of Donald K. Petterson.

The President today announced that he will nominate Donald K. Petterson of San Luis Obispo, Calif., to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Somali Democratic Republic. He would replace John L. Loughran, resigned.

Petterson was born November 17, 1930, in Huntington Park, Calif. He received a B.A. (1956) and M.A. (1960) from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1948 to 1952.

Petterson joined the Foreign Service in 1960 and served in Mexico City, Zanzibar, and Lagos. From 1968 to 1970, he was a personnel officer at the State Department, and from 1970 to 1972, he was posted in Freetown as counselor for political and economic affairs, then Deputy Chief of Mission.

From 1972 to 1975, Petterson was counselor for political affairs in Pretoria. He was an international relations officer at the State Department from 1975 to 1977 and Director of the Office of South African Affairs in 1977 and 1978. Since 1978 he has been Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.