H.E. Elkanah Odembo, is the Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to the U.S.A. He received his Bachelors degree in Biology and Sociology from Bowdoin College and in 1980 received his Masters in Public Heath from the University of Texas. For his distinguished public service, he was awarded the 2010 Common Good Award by the Board of Trustees of his Alma Mater, Bowdoin College which honors those alumni who have demonstrated an extraordinary, profound and sustained commitment to the common good, in the interest of society, with conspicuous disregard for personal gain in wealth or status.Prior to serving in Washington, Ambassador Odembo served as the Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to France since January 2009. And prior to representing Kenya abroad, for more than two decades he held senior level positions at philanthropic and non-governmental organizations in East Africa. The Ambassador was the founding director of Ufadhili Trust, a Nairobi based organization that promotes philanthropy, the use of local resources for social development, especially through corporate social responsibility, cross-sector partnerships, technical assistance and policy research.The Ambassador has served as a distinguished member of the following organizations: the National Advisory Committee for Health Research, the NGO Co-ordination Board of Kenya, and the National Committee for Social Dimensions of Development. Additionally, he was one of the founding members of the NGO Coalition for East Africa and has served on the Boards of several National and International NGOs.