Directors of the Office of Foreign Missions
NOTE TO READERS
Updates to the Principal Officers and Chiefs of Mission database are currently suspended. For information about the Department’s current and recent leadership, we recommend visiting the Department of State homepage’s Biographies of Senior Officials and List of U.S. Ambassadors.
Notice posted on January 12, 2024.
Last
updated March 14, 2024.
The Department of State Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1982 and 1983 (Aug 24, 1982; P.L. 97-241; 96 Stat. 184) authorized an Office of Foreign Missions, headed by a Deputy appointed by the Secretary of State. the Department of State Authorization act for Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (Nov 22, 1983; P.L. 98-164; 97 Stat. 1043) made the Director a Presidential appointee subject to the advice and consent of the Senate, with the rank of Ambassador. The Office of Foreign Missions is responsible for facilitating the secure and efficient operation of U.S. diplomatic missions abroad and foreign diplomatic missions in the United States.
- James Edward Nolan Jr. (1986–1988)
- David C. Fields (1990–1992)
- Eric J. Boswell (1993–1998)
- Eric J. Boswell (1996–1998)
- Francis Xavier Taylor (2002–2005)
- Richard J. Griffin (2005–2007)
- Eric J. Boswell (2008–2012)
- Gentry O. Smith (2015–2017)
- Stephen Akard (2019)
- John Condayan (Served as Acting Director, Jan 1988-Jun 1989; a nomination of Sep 16, 1988, was not acted upon by the Senate. Harry W. Porter III served as Acting Director, Jun 1989-Mar 1990 and Jul 1992-May 1993.)