Jessica Davis Ba

Jessica Davis Ba is an American diplomat who had served as the United States ambassador to Ivory Coast. She previously served as Senior Coordinator and Special Advisor for Africa in the Office of the Vice President. Davis Ba previously served as the Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in N’Djamena, Chad.

Early life and education

Davis Ba earned Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Environmental Studies and a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Pennsylvania; she earned her master's at Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication. She completed doctoral research on communication technologies and development in Africa as a National Security Education Program David L. Boren Graduate Fellow and went on to teach in the Communication, Culture and Technology Program at Georgetown University before joining the Foreign Service.

U.S. ambassador to Ivory Coast

On June 8, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Davis Ba to be the next ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire. On August 3, 2022, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The committee favorably reported the nomination to the Senate floor on December 7, 2022. On December 15, 2022, her nomination was confirmed in the Senate by voice vote. Davis Ba presented her credentials to President Alassane Ouattara on March 2, 2023.

Personal life Davis Ba speaks French and Spanish. Davis Ba is married to Amadou Mahtar Ba.