John f tefft biography
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Tefft also served as International Affairs Advisor (Deputy Commandant) of the National War College in Washington, D.C. From 2000 to 2003, he was the United States Ambassador to Lithuania. Foreign Service Officer since 1972. Tefft arrived in Ukraine on December 2, 2009 and PresidentViktor Yushchenko accepted Teffts credentials of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary on December 7, 2009.
Embassy in Moscow from 1996 to 1999 (when Pickering was Ambassador), and was chargé d"affaires at the Embassy from November 1996 to September 1997.
Tefft served as Director of the Office of Northern European Affairs from 1992 to 1994, Deputy Director of the Office of Soviet Union (later Russian and Commonwealth of Independent States ) Affairs from 1989 to 1992, and Counselor for Political-Military Affairs at the United States.
His other Foreign Service assignments include Jerusalem, Budapest, and Rome.
Tefft holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a Master’s Degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Among the awards he has received are the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award in 2017, the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award in 1992, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Year Award for his service in Moscow in 1999 and the Diplomacy for Human Rights Award in 2013.
He has previously served as the United States" ambassador to Ukraine, Georgia, and Lithuania, as well as chargé d"affaires of the Embassy of the United States in Moscow, Russia. Pyatt was sworn in on July 30, 2013 and arrived in Ukraine on August 3, 2013.
In July 2014, President Obama nominated Tefft as the United States Ambassador to Russia in Moscow, after receiving Russia"s approval.
Tefft is currently a Senior Fellow at the RAND Corporation.
From 2003-2004 Tefft was the International Affairs Advisor at the National War College in Washington, D.C. He was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow from 1996 to 1999, and was Chargé d’Affaires from November 1996 to September 1997. He worked from 2004 to 2005 as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs responsible for U.S.
relations with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova.
Tefft originally retired from the Foreign Service in September 2013 and served as Executive Director of the RAND Corporation’s Business Leaders Forum from October 2013 to August 2014 until his recall to duty and confirmation as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation from September 2014 to September 2017.
He joined the United States Foreign Service in 1972 and has served in Jerusalem, Budapest, Rome, Moscow, Vilnius, Tbilisi, and Kiev.
Until his appointment as ambassador to Georgia, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs since July 6, 2004.
Tefft also served as International Affairs Advisor (Deputy Commandant) of the National War College in Washington, District of Columbia From 2000 to 2003, he was the United States Ambassador to Lithuania.
He served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States. They have two daughters, Christine and Cathleen, who both live and work in the Washington, D.C. area, and two granddaughters.
John F Tefft
Tefft is a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, with the personal rank of Minister-Counselor.
He presented his credentials to President Vladimir Putin on November 19, 2014.
Tefft has received a number of awards, including the State Department Distinguished Honor Award in 1992 and the DCM of the Year Award for his service in Moscow in 1999. He received Presidential Meritorious Service Awards in 2001 and 2005.
Tefft is married to Mariella Cellitti Tefft, a biostatistician and nurse.
They have two daughters, Christine, a lawyer at the State Department in Washington, D.C., and Cathleen, a program analyst at the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C.
John Tefft
ambassadorDiplomat
John F. Tefft is a career United States. The confirmation followed several attempts as a number of ambassadorial appointments were being held up at the time.
He was a career Foreign Service Officer for more than 45 years, completing his service as the United States Ambassador to the Russian Federation from 2014 to 2017. Tefft arrived in Ukraine on December 2, 2009 and President Viktor Yushchenko accepted Teffts credentials of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary on December 7, 2009.
The Senate confirmed Tefft in a voice vote on July 31, 2014.
The confirmation followed several attempts as a number of ambassadorial appointments were being held up at the time.
Strained relations with Russia over pro-separatist activity in eastern Ukraine, the country"s annexation of Crimea, and the shooting down of a commercial airliner, prompted senators to finally approve the nomination.
delegation to the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks I arms control negotiations in 1985.
In addition, he has served in a number of positions at the State Department in Washington, District of Columbia and held a fellowship, working in the United States Congress.
On September 30, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Tefft as the next ambassador to Ukraine and he was confirmed by the United States.
Strained relations with Russia over pro-separatist activity in eastern Ukraine, the country's annexation of Crimea, and the alleged shooting down of a commercial airliner, prompted senators to finally approve the nomination.
Tefft is a native of Madison, Wisconsin and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (1971) from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a Master of Arts degree in history (1978) from Georgetown University in Washington, District of Columbia Tefft is married to Mariella Cellitti Tefft, a biostatistician and nurse
They have two daughters, Christine, a lawyer at the State Department in Washington, District of Columbia, and Cathleen, a program analyst at the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, District of Columbia
Achievements
Tefft has received a number of awards, including the State Department Distinguished Honor Award in 1992 and the Distinguished Conduct Medal of the Year Award for his service in Moscow in 1999.