Biden announces nominees for ambassadors to Brazil, U.K.

Jan. 19 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden announced four new nominees for ambassador Wednesday to fill vacancies in Brazil, the UK, Denmark and Chad.

The list includes:

• Elizabeth Bagley, nominee for ambassador to Brazil
• Jane Hartley, nominee for ambassador to the United Kingdom
• Alexander Laskaris, nominee for ambassador to Chad
• Alan Leventhal, nominee for ambassador to Denmark

Hartley will be the first female ambassador to serve in the United Kingdom in over 40 years. Prior to her nomination, she served as an ambassador in France and Monaco.

Elizabeth Bagley served as ambassador to Portugal during the Clinton administration. She was awarded the Grand Cross of Prince Henry the Navigator, Portugal's highest civilian honor.

Laskaris served as ambassador to Guinea during the Obama administration.

Leventhal was chosen from the private sector and is founder, chair and CEO of Beacon Capital Partners.

Other key roles the White House announced Wednesday include Kathryn Huff, nominee for assistant secretary for nuclear energy at the Department of Energy; Deborah Coen, nominee to the National Council on the Humanities; and William Brodsky, nominee to the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.