Michael C. Polt
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Michael Christian Polt is the current United States ambassador to Serbia.
Ambassador Polt was sworn in as United States Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro on May 13, 2004. Following Montenegro's secession from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, Ambassador Polt became the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service of the United States, rank of Minister-Counselor, Ambassador Polt served as Secretary of State Colin Powell’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs prior to assuming his new position.
During his nearly three decades as a career diplomat, Mr. Polt served as U.S. Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany and Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge’ d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland. He has also served as Senior Advisor to the Director General of the Foreign Service for Management Reform and was a key member of the Senior Management Steering Board directing the State Department’s 2003-2005 multi-million dollar reinvention of its Diplomatic Communications System.
Ambassador Polt has held other senior positions in the Department of State as Deputy Director for European Security and Arms Control Issues, and in Panama City as Political Counselor of the U.S. Embassy during the time leading up to the U.S. military action against the Noriega regime in 1989. During his earlier career, Mr. Polt was assigned to Embassies in Bonn, Mexico City, and Copenhagen, as well as the U.S. Consulate in Bremen, Germany.
The Ambassador is the recipient of the Presidential Meritorious Service Award and numerous Department of State Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards for Outstanding Policy Leadership, Management, Crisis Performance, and Political Analysis. He has been awarded the Thomas Jefferson Award for Service to U.S. Citizens Overseas by American Citizens Abroad.
Mr. Polt was born in Austria, and now calls Tennessee his home. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and lives in suburban Virginia when on assignment in Washington, D.C. His wife, Hallie, is an Information Management Specialist with the Department of State. The family has two children, Nicholas (25) and Lindsay (20). The Polts like to ski and sail.
