Haley, Nikki, 1972-

<p>Nimrata Nikki Haley (née Randhawa; born January 20, 1972) is an American politician, diplomat, businesswoman, and author who served as the 116th and first female governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and as the 29th United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2018.</p>

<p>Haley was born in Bamberg, South Carolina, and studied accounting at Clemson University. Haley joined her family's clothing business, before serving as treasurer and president of the National Association of Women Business Owners. First elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2004, she served three terms. In 2010, during her third term, she was elected governor of South Carolina and won re-election in 2014. Haley was the first female governor of South Carolina, the youngest governor in the country and the second governor of Indian descent (after fellow Republican Bobby Jindal of Louisiana). She was the first Asian-American female governor, and in 2017 became the first Indian-American in a presidential cabinet.</p>

<p>Haley served in President Donald Trump's Cabinet as United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2018. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a 96–4 vote, and was sworn in on January 25, 2017. She affirmed the United States's willingness to use military force in response to further North Korean missile tests in the wake of the 2017–2018 North Korea crisis. She strongly defended Israel at the Security Council and led the effort to withdraw the U.S. from the United Nations Human Rights Council. She voluntarily stepped down on December 31, 2018.</p>

<p>Nimrata "Nikki" Randhawa Haley served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from January 2017 to December 2018. Previously, Haley served as governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, the first non-European-American and first female governor of South Carolina. She was the second Indian-American governor to be elected in the United States.</p>

<p>Born on January 20, 1972, in Bamberg, South Carolina, Haley began keeping books for her mother's clothing store as a teenager. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting at Clemson University in 1994. She returned to her family's business and helped to make it a multi-million dollar company.</p>

<p>Prior to her time as governor, Haley represented the 87th District in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2010. In 2005, Haley was elected chairman of the freshman caucus and in 2006 was elected as majority whip in the South Carolina General Assembly.</p>