AMBASSADOR JAMES F. DOBBINS

Ambassador Dobbins has headed the European Bureau of the State Department since May 26, 2000. He has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary for European and Canadian Affairs. In Europe, he served as Ambassador to the European Community, Deputy Chief of Mission in Bonn, Political-Military Officer in London, and Political Officer in Paris. Ambassador Dobbins has also acted as the Department of State’s senior manager for peace operations in Kosovo, Bosnia, Haiti and Somalia. From 1999 until his current assignment, he served as Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State for Kosovo and Dayton Implementation, with lead responsibility for management of the Balkan crisis throughout the Kosovo conflict. Earlier, Ambassador Dobbins served as the Administration's coordinator for Haiti, overseeing the diplomatic and civil aspects of the intervention. He filled a similar role in overseeing the disengagement of U.S. forces from Somalia. From 1996 until 1999 he was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director on the National Security Council Staff responsible for Latin America. Earlier, he served with the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Department of State’s Policy Planning Staff, and with the U.S. Delegation to the Vietnam Peace Talks. In addition to his official posts, he has held appointments as a Senior Fellow with the Rand Corporation, and occupied a similar position with the Council on Foreign Relations. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Ambassador Dobbins served three years as an officer in the United States Navy, including two tours of duty in the Vietnam theatre aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA 31). He received a Bachelor’s degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.