Dennis Walter Hearne, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister Counselor, has served as an American diplomat since 1985. He was appointed by President Donald J. Trump on January 7, 2019 as Ambassador to the Republic of Mozambique and sworn-in to office on January 31, 2019. He most recently served as Principal Deputy High Representative, Office of the High Representative, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2017 to 2018.

Other senior leadership positions in which he has served include: Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, from 2016 to 2017; senior advisor to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs from 2015 to 2016; United States Consul General in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 2009 to 2012; and as foreign policy advisor to United States military commanders, including two years of service in combat operations in Afghanistan.

His other assignments include Brasilia, The Hague, Zagreb, Lisbon, Sao Paulo, and Washington. He is the recipient of the United States Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal and several Department of State Superior Honor Awards. He speaks Croatian and Portuguese.

Ambassador Hearne is a native of North Carolina and a resident of Virginia. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wake Forest University and a Master of Science from the National War College.