Bio: Ambassador Marcela Celorio Mancera

Marcela Celorio Mancera, ambassador of Mexico since April 28, 2017. First ambassador to hold a law degree from the Mexican law School: “Escuela Libre de Derecho”.

Since June 15, 2016, she has served as Consul General of Mexico in San Diego, CA.

ACADEMIC CAREER

Marcela Celorio graduated from one of Mexico’s most prestigious law schools “Escuela Libre de Derecho” where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Mexican Law (JD Equivalent), she holds a master’s degree in Diplomatic Studies from the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ school of diplomacy Instituto Matías Romero and in Security and National Defense from the Institute of National Defense from the Mexican Ministry of National Defense. She was a professor at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, where she taught Public International Law to law students.  

She participated in the XXIV session of the International Law Academy in San Jose, Costa Rica under the name “La protección internacional de los derechos humanos; la solución pacífica de controversias y la Diplomacia Preventiva”; and in the Vistors International Program organized by the US Department of State titled “La perspectiva de EUA en temas de diplomacia multilateral”.

She continued her academic career on the bilateral relationship of Mexico and the United States at the Center for US-Mexico Studies from the University of California in San Diego, at that time, with Wayne Cornelius as one of her professors.

As the first Diplomat in Residence at the Center for North American Studies from the School of International Services of the American University, she has the unique opportunity of working next to Robert (“Bob”) Pastor, as Research-Professor. As a result, she published a paper on North America’s security and integration.

During her assignment in Israel, she attended the school of international studies “Raphael Recanati”, from the University IDC Herzliya from Israel, where she took courses in Israel’s History and Social Development.

Throughout her academic career, she has been distinguished by her research work and papers in topics related to dual nationality and citizenship, immigration, National security and integration of North America.

She is fluent in both English and Spanish, and has some knowledge of French, German, Italian and Hebrew.

DIPLOMATIC CAREER

She joined the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992, as Deputy Secretary of Consular Coordination; afterwards she served as Director for Nationality and Naturalization, position from which she promoted the recognition of dual nationality. These efforts resulted in the constitutional reform of 1997, and the issuance of the new Nationality Law of 1998.

Later on, she has promoted to Director of Protection Policies, overseeing the implementation of border integration mechanisms and internal consultations between Mexico and the United States; in 2000 she became the Director for United States of America’s office at the Ministry.

In the year 1999, she joined the Mexican Foreign Service as Diplomatic Attaché and she was promoted to every ranking of the diplomatic career until she reached the highest ranking of Ambassador of Mexico.

She was later on assigned to the Mexican Embassy in the United States as political adviser and chief of Staff from the year 2002 to 2006, where she became an expert in subject like integration, security and regional development.

In September of 2006, upon invitation by the Mexican Ministry of Interior, she was commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to serve as Senior Director in charge of the North American Region for issues concerning national security.

From 2009 to 2012, she served as Head of Chancery in the Mexican Embassy in Israel and as Adviser for Economic, Commercial and Cooperation affairs. Under this position she led successful negotiations of two agreements, one regarding tourism and the other hydrology.

In 2012, she was appointed as Adviser on Political Affairs at the Mexican Embassy in Belgium and the Mexican Mission in the European Union. Under this position she was responsible for the development of the 1st Summit of the Latin-American States and the Caribbean, overseeing other issues such as civil society involvement in government’s decision-making process.  

From 2013 to 2016 she was appointed as Deputy Consul at the Consulate General of Mexico in New York. In said position she co-led the implementation of various initiatives for the empowerment of the Mexican Community, such as: the Department for Financial Counseling, participation by the academia in issues such as psychological assistance to migrants, as well as assisting the LGBTQ+ by implementing the “safety zones” a space free of judgment and fully tolerant, inside the consulates. 

In 2016, per appointment by the Federal Executive Power and ratified by the Mexican Senate, she was appointed as Consul General of Mexico in San Diego, CA. Since her assignment, her work has been characterized for the implementation of a cross-border consular diplomacy model overseeing the CaliBaja region (a mega-region which includes five municipalities of the State of Baja California and the San Diego and Imperial Counties).