U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday a new round of diplomatic appointments, including the nomination of Paul Kalmbach, a businessman from Ohio, as the next American ambassador to Paraguay. The White House has sent the nomination to the U.S. Senate, where the appointment still needs to be confirmed.
Kalmbach is the CEO of Kalmbach Feeds, Inc., a company founded in 1963 by Milton and Ruth Kalmbach and based in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. The firm is a regional leader in the U.S. animal nutrition market, specializing in the development and marketing of products for cattle, poultry, and companion animals. The day-to-day management of the company is currently handled by his son, Paul Kalmbach Jr., who serves as the company’s president.
The Kalmbach family also has a presence in the Republican Party’s political scene. Daniel Kalmbach, another son of the businessman, ran in 2024 for a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives for District 69 but was defeated in the March primaries by Kevin Miller.
The nomination for Paraguay is part of a broader package of appointments announced by Trump, which includes Mark Abreu for El Salvador, Daniel Pérez for Brazil, Peter Snyder for Ecuador, and Nate Morris for Colombia. According to the U.S. Constitution, there is no fixed deadline for the Senate to vote on the confirmations.
In addition to Senate approval, the process requires the Paraguayan government to grant the so-called diplomatic agrément, a formal approval without which the ambassador cannot assume their duties. Only after these steps will Kalmbach be authorized to present his credentials at the Palacio de López and officially take on the diplomatic representation of the United States in Asunción.