Raynor, Michael Arthur, 1962-

Michael Arthur Raynor (born 1962) is an American Foreign Service Officer specializing in relations with Africa. He is the current United States Ambassador to Ethiopia. He previously served as the Director of the Office of Career Development and Assignments in the Bureau of Human Resources of the United States Department of State. Raynor served as United States Ambassador to Benin from 2012 to 2015 after being nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Prior to his post in Benin, he was deputy executive director and then executive director of the Bureau of African Affairs.

Raynor earned his bachelor's degree in 1984 from Lafayette College, going on to obtain a master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University.

Raynor is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, having joined the United States Foreign Service in 1988. He has served eight U.S. missions overseas, including six in Africa. He has been assigned to the U.S. embassy in Brazzaville, the consular officer at the embassy in Luxembourg, and the U.S. embassies in Djibouti City, Conakry, and Windhoek. He was a desk officer for Zimbabwe before becoming legislative management officer and special assistant in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs. Raynor was the management counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Harare from 2004 to 2008.

After returning from his post in Harare, Raynor was named deputy executive director of the Bureau of African Affairs in 2008. In 2010, he was elevated to executive director. On December 15, 2011, he was nominated by President Barack Obama to become United States Ambassador to Benin. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and assumed the ambassadorship on September 13, 2012. Raynor left his post in Benin on May 29, 2015, and became Director of the Office of Career Development and Assignments in the Bureau of Human Resources at the United States Department of State. In May 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Raynor to become United States Ambassador to Ethiopia. He was confirmed to the position by the U.S. Senate on August 3, 2017.