Richard Jones (U.S. diplomat)

Richard Henry Jones (born August 26, 1950) is an American diplomat and the former Deputy Executive Director of the International Energy Agency.

Richard Jones
United States Ambassador to Lebanon
In office
October 31, 2015  May 17, 2016
Acting
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byDavid Hale
Succeeded byElizabeth Richard
In office
February 2, 1996  July 8, 1998
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byRonald Schlicher
Succeeded byDavid Satterfield
United States Ambassador to Israel
In office
September 26, 2005  April 27, 2008
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byDaniel Kurtzer
Succeeded byJames Cunningham
Deputy Administrator for the Coalition Provisional Authority
In office
November 1, 2003  June 28, 2004
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
United States Ambassador to Kuwait
In office
October 1, 2001  July 26, 2004
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byJames Larocco
Succeeded byRichard LeBaron
United States Ambassador to Kazakhstan
In office
January 23, 1999  June 10, 2001
PresidentBill Clinton
George W. Bush
Preceded byElizabeth Jones
Succeeded byLarry Napper
Personal details
Born (1950-08-26) August 26, 1950
Barksdale, Louisiana, U.S.
Alma materHarvey Mudd College
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Jones is a career Foreign Service Officer and member of the Senior Foreign Service. He has served as United States Ambassador to Israel (2005–2008), Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Coordinator for Iraq Policy (February–September 2005), Chief Policy Officer and Deputy Administrator for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad (November 2003 - June 2004), Ambassador to Kuwait (2001–2004), Ambassador to Kazakhstan (1998–2000), and Ambassador to Lebanon (1996–1998).

Early life and education

Jones was born at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier Parish, Louisiana. He received his Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in mathematics from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California and earned a master's and doctorate in business/statistics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Career

Jones has been twice posted to the embassy in Riyadh and has also served in Paris and Tunis and was director of the Division of Developed Country Trade in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (1987–1989) of the State Department, and later director of the State Department’s Office of Egyptian Affairs within its Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.

Jones served as ambassador to Lebanon from February 1996 until July 1998 and ambassador to Kazakhstan from December 1998 until July 2001. He served as ambassador to Kuwait from September 2001 until July 2004. From November 2003 until June 2004, Jones served concurrently as Chief Policy Officer and Deputy Administrator for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad. He worked in Kuwait to enlisting Kuwaiti support for the Iraq War and worked under L. Paul Bremer to implement the November 15, 2003 Agreement with the Iraqi Governing Council. Jones was a senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government from September 2004 until January 2005.

In February 2005 Jones was named Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Coordinator for Iraq Policy (S/I) the highest-ranking State Department post focused entirely on Iraq policy. Jones chaired an Under Secretary of State-level interagency steering group charged with reviewing and developing Iraq policy and led U.S. diplomatic efforts on Iraq with the international community, including preparations for the June 22, 2005 Iraq International Conference in Brussels.

Jones was sworn in as ambassador to Israel by Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick on September 6, 2005. He left that position on August 1, 2008.

Jones served as the deputy executive director of the International Energy Agency, based in Paris from 1 October 2008 until end of September 2013.

Jones most recently served as Chargé d'affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon from November 2015 until June 2016.

Personal life

He is fluent in Arabic, French, German, and Russian. He served two terms on the board of the Saudi Arabian International School in Riyadh. He enjoys hiking and bicycling, as well as winter and racquet sports.

Jones married Joan Wiener in 1973 and has four children: Josh (1977), Vera (1980), Ben (1991), and Hope (1992).

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