Jeffrey M. Hovenier is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Kosovo since 2022.

Jeff Hovenier
United States Ambassador to Kosovo
Assumed office
January 10, 2022
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byPhilip S. Kosnett
Personal details
Born
Jeffrey Hovenier
EducationBrigham Young University (BA)
Georgetown University (MA)

Early life and education

edit

Hovenier was raised in Bellingham, Washington. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from Brigham Young University and a Master of Arts in government and international relations from Georgetown University.[1]

Career

edit

A member of the Senior Foreign Service, Hovenier has been assigned to embassies in Peru, Croatia, Greece, Panama, Germany, and Paraguay, in addition to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Hovenier also served as the director for Central and Southeastern European affairs for the United States National Security Council.[2] Hovenier also served in the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey as its charge d’affaires from August 2018 to July 2019,[1][3] and Deputy chief of mission from August 2018 to July 2021, when Scott M. Oudkirk assumed his post as DCM.[1][4]

United States ambassador to Kosovo

edit

On July 2, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Hovenier to serve as United States Ambassador to Kosovo.[5][6] On October 5, 2021, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.[7] On October 19, 2021, his nomination was reported favorably out of committee.[8] The United States Senate confirmed him on November 18, 2021, by voice vote. He presented his credentials to President Vjosa Osmani in Pristina on January 10, 2022.[9]

Personal life

edit

Hovenier speaks German, Greek, Croatian, and Spanish.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "Deputy Chief of Mission Jeffrey M. Hovenier". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Turkey. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  2. ^ "President Biden Announces Seven Key Nominations". The White House. July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  3. ^ "Jeffrey Hovenier, U.S. charge d'affaires, summoned by Turkey over Twitter 'like'". The Washington Times. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  4. ^ "Deputy Chief of Mission Scott M. Oudkirk". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Turkey. 2021. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  5. ^ "Biden picks Penn president for Germany ambassador". GreenwichTime. July 2, 2021. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  6. ^ "Jeff Hovenier, new US Ambassador to Kosovo – Latest News | Kosovo Now". July 2, 2021. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  7. ^ "PN779 - Nomination of Jeffrey M. Hovenier for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. October 19, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  8. ^ "SFRC APPROVES 33 CRITICAL FOREIGN POLICY NOMINATIONS" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. October 19, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  9. ^ "Ambassador Hovenier Presenting His Credentials". U.S. Embassy in Kosovo. January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Deputy chief of mission, United States Embassy in Ankara
August 2018–July 2021
Succeeded by
United States Ambassador to Kosovo
2022–present
Incumbent