On August 20, 2021, President Biden announced his intention to nominate Dr. Michael Anthony Battle, Sr. as Ambassador to Tanzania. Battle took his official oath for the office on December 21st. He has had a distinguished career of public service spanning four decades as a diplomat, in academia, in the faith community and as a military chaplain. Battle was Executive Vice President/Provost at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. He served as a Senior Advisor to the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State for the U.S. Africa Leader’s Summit in 2014. He also was the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the U.S. Ambassador to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Earlier in his career Battle’s positions included service as the President of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia and chair of The Robert W. Woodruff Library of The Atlanta University. He served for 20 years as a Chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1997. Battle has held senior academic administrator positions at Chicago State University, Virginia State University, and Hampton University, and he participated as an election observer in 1994 for the first free election in South Africa. Battle has authored numerous books and publications on topics related to ecumenism and the Black church. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College, a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Howard University.