Robert Frank Pence (born 1945) is an American businessman who was United States Ambassador to Finland.[1][2] His nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 22, 2018.[3]
Robert Pence | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2018 | |
| 34th United States Ambassador to Finland | |
| In office May 24, 2018 – January 14, 2021 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Charles C. Adams Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Doug Hickey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Frank Pence 1945 (age 78–79) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Susan Sarbacher (m. 1968) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | |
A graduate of the Washington College of Law at American University, he is the namesake of the school's Pence Law Library.[4]
Early life and family
editChildhood and education
editPence was born in Washington, D.C. in 1945.[5] He attended the University of Maryland in College Park, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English; the American University, earning a Juris Doctor from the Washington College of Law and Master of Arts degrees in Renaissance art and literature; and Yale University, earning a Master of Arts and Master of Philosophy, both in Italian.[4]
Marriage
editPence married the former Susan "Suzy" Sarbacher in 1968. Together, they had three sons.[5]
Career
editPence founded The Pence Group (formerly known as Pence-Friedel Developers, Inc.), a commercial development firm, in 1984 and served as its president for more than thirty years.[6][7] A Republican Party donor, he did not support the candidacy of Donald Trump but was recommended for an ambassadorial appointment by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, to whom he is not related.[8][9] He served as ambassador until January 14, 2021.[10]
Rescinding award from Jessikka Aro
editIn 2019, the State Department selected Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro as a recipient of the prestigious International Women of Courage Award and notified her that she would be receiving the award.[11] But the award was withdrawn after Ambassador Pence and others expressed concerns that Aro had authored social media posts that were critical of President Donald Trump and might make an anti-Trump political statement during the award ceremony.[11]
The Office of the Inspector General at the State Department investigated the decision to withdraw the report and concluded that Department officials, including Ambassador Pence, lied to Congress and the public about its reasons for rescinding the report.[12][11]
References
edit- ^ "Confirmation For Trump's Finland Ambassador Could Take Months". News Now Finland. November 14, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
- ^ Posnova, Anastasiia (November 28, 2017). "Robert Pence tapped for Finland ambassador". Yale Daily News. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
- ^ "Robert Pence '71 Confirmed as Ambassador to Finland". www.wcl.american.edu. March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
- ^ a b "Our Donor". Pence Law Library. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
- ^ a b "Board Membership: Robert Pence". George Mason University. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ Rein, Lisa; Hedgpeth, Dana (July 17, 2009). "Largest Tysons Landowner to Sell Holdings". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
- ^ Hedgpeth, Dana (July 18, 2009). "Tysons Corner Developer Sells Holdings, With an Eye on Area's Future". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
- ^ Banister, Jon (November 2, 2017). "Virginia Developers Spending Big Money on Governor's Race". Bisnow. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
- ^ Haberman, Maggie (December 21, 2016). "Donald Trump, Seeking Ambassadors, Sorts Through Competing Priorities". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
- ^ Ambassador Pence bioUS Embassy in Finland Archived March 20, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c U.S. Department of State, Office of Inspector General (September 2020). "Review of the Selection Process for the International Women of Courage Award" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ "Watchdog: State Dept lied about rescinding woman's award". AP NEWS. April 30, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
External links
edit
- Ambassador biography Archived March 20, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
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