United States Ambassador to Ukraine
In office: November 20, 2009[1] – August 3, 2013[1]
President: Barack Obama
Preceded by: William B. Taylor, Jr.
Succeeded by: Geoffrey R. Pyatt

United States Ambassador to Georgia
In office: August 23, 2005 – 2009
President: George W. Bush
Preceded by: Richard Monroe Miles
Succeeded by: John R. Bass

United States Ambassador to Lithuania
In office: June 14, 2000 – May 10, 2003
President: George W. Bush
Preceded by: Keith C. Smith
Succeeded by: Stephen D. Mull

Personal details

Born: 1949 (age 64–65), Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Spouse: Mariella Cellitti Tefft
Children: Christine, Cathleen
Alma mater: Georgetown University: M.A.History (1978), Marquette University: B.A.(1971)

Profession

Career FSO

John F. Tefft (born 1949) is a career U.S. Foreign Service Officer since 1972. He has served as the United States' ambassador to Ukraine,[1] Georgia, and Lithuania, as well as chargé d'affaires of the Embassy of the United States in Moscow,Russia.

Diplomatic career

Tefft is a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, with the personal rank of Minister-Counselor. He joined the United States Foreign Service in 1972 and has served in Jerusalem, Budapest, Rome, Moscow, Vilnius and Tbilisi.

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 inWashington, D.C. From 2000 to 2003, he was the United States Ambassador to Lithuania. He served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. 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 CIS) Affairs from 1989 to 1992, and Counselor for Political-Military Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Rome from 1986 to 1989. His other foreign assignments included Budapest and Jerusalem, as well as service on the U.S. delegation to the START I arms control negotiations in 1985.

In addition, he has served in a number of positions at the State Department in Washington, D.C. 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[2] and he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 20, 2009.[3] Tefft arrived in Ukraine on December 2, 2009[3] and President Viktor Yushchenko accepted Teffts credentials of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary on December 7, 2009. The Ambassador expressed his hope for fruitful cooperation. Tefft delivered his speech in Ukrainian.[4]

On February 26, 2013, President Obama nominated Geoffrey R. Pyatt to succeed Tefft as Ambassador of the United States to Ukraine.[5] Pyatt was sworn in on July 30, 2013 and arrived in Ukraine on August 3, 2013.[1]

Awards

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.

Biography

Tefft is a native of Madison, Wisconsin and holds a B.A. degree (1971) from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a M.A. degree in history (1978) from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

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.