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Aug 27 2011
Ambassador to Armenia: Who is John Heffern?
Saturday, August 27, 2011
John Heffern, a career diplomat who has spent much of his career
working in East Asia, was nominated in May 2011 to serve as ambassador
to Armenia. However, his nomination has been held up by Sen. Robert
Menendez (D-New Jersey) as a protest against President Barack Obama's
refusal to characterize the Turkish killing of Armenians during World
War I as a `genocide.' At his confirmation hearing before the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, Heffern sidestepped the issue, stating
only that `the characterization of those events... is a policy decision
that is made by the president of the United States.'
Heffern's father served briefly in the Foreign Service. He met his
wife in India. Heffern's mother is a naturalized citizen.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Heffern graduated from Michigan State
University with a degree in international relations in 1976.
He joined the Foreign Service in 1982 after serving as office director
and research assistant for Sen. John Danforth (R-Missouri). His early
postings included China, Taiwan and Cote d'Ivoire.
Heffern was later assigned to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and then took
postings in Washington, DC, related to Southeast Asia.
>From 1994 to 1996, he worked on the House International Relations
Committee as a Pearson Fellow for Congressman Doug Bereuter
(R-Nebraska).
Heffern served as deputy political counselor at the U.S. embassy in
Tokyo, Japan, and as political counselor at the U.S. Mission to NATO.
After postings in the Human Resources Bureau in Washington, as
executive assistant to under secretary for political affairs, and as
deputy chief of mission at U.S. embassy Jakarta, Indonesia, he
reported back to the U.S. Mission to NATO as the deputy permanent
representative in 2009.
Heffern and his wife of 32 years, Libby Dowling Heffern, have five children.
http://www.allgov.com/Appointments_and_Resignations/ViewNews/Ambassador_to_Armenia__Who_is_John_Heffern_110827
From: A. Papazian
Aug 27 2011
Ambassador to Armenia: Who is John Heffern?
Saturday, August 27, 2011
John Heffern, a career diplomat who has spent much of his career
working in East Asia, was nominated in May 2011 to serve as ambassador
to Armenia. However, his nomination has been held up by Sen. Robert
Menendez (D-New Jersey) as a protest against President Barack Obama's
refusal to characterize the Turkish killing of Armenians during World
War I as a `genocide.' At his confirmation hearing before the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, Heffern sidestepped the issue, stating
only that `the characterization of those events... is a policy decision
that is made by the president of the United States.'
Heffern's father served briefly in the Foreign Service. He met his
wife in India. Heffern's mother is a naturalized citizen.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Heffern graduated from Michigan State
University with a degree in international relations in 1976.
He joined the Foreign Service in 1982 after serving as office director
and research assistant for Sen. John Danforth (R-Missouri). His early
postings included China, Taiwan and Cote d'Ivoire.
Heffern was later assigned to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and then took
postings in Washington, DC, related to Southeast Asia.
>From 1994 to 1996, he worked on the House International Relations
Committee as a Pearson Fellow for Congressman Doug Bereuter
(R-Nebraska).
Heffern served as deputy political counselor at the U.S. embassy in
Tokyo, Japan, and as political counselor at the U.S. Mission to NATO.
After postings in the Human Resources Bureau in Washington, as
executive assistant to under secretary for political affairs, and as
deputy chief of mission at U.S. embassy Jakarta, Indonesia, he
reported back to the U.S. Mission to NATO as the deputy permanent
representative in 2009.
Heffern and his wife of 32 years, Libby Dowling Heffern, have five children.
http://www.allgov.com/Appointments_and_Resignations/ViewNews/Ambassador_to_Armenia__Who_is_John_Heffern_110827
From: A. Papazian