President Joe Biden will nominate state Rep. Calvin Smyre to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic, rewarding the longest-serving legislator in Georgia and one of the president’s earliest allies in the South with a diplomatic post.
The White House said Wednesday that Smyre, 74, known in the Georgia Capitol as the dean of the House, will soon be formally named to the job. If confirmed by the Senate, the retired Synovus banking executive will head to the Dominican Republic at a time when the island nation is confronted by new challenges.
I’ve been in the Legislature for so long and it’s such a part of me. It’s a place that I love so dearly, Smyre said. But I’m deeply honored to be nominated by President Biden to be the ambassador to the Dominican Republic. And if confirmed I look forward to advancing the interests of the United States in the Dominican government.