John F. Tefft
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John F. Tefft (b. 1949) is the United States Ambassador to Georgia. He has been a career Foreign Service Officer for thirty-three years. Before assuming his current position, Tefft served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs and was responsible for US relations with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.
Ambassador Tefft is a career member of the United States Senior Foreign Service, with the personal rank of Minister-Counselor. He joined the United States Foreign Service in 1972 and has served in Jerusalem, Budapest, Rome, Moscow and in Vilnius.
Until his appointment as ambassador, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs from July 6, 2004. Tefft also served as International Affairs Advisor (Deputy Commandant) at the National War College in Washington, DC. From 2000 to 2003, he was the United States Ambassador to Lithuania. He served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow from 1996 to 1999 (when Pickering was Ambassador), and was Charge d'affaires at the Embassy from November 1996 to September 1997. Tefft has also served as Director of the Office of Northern European Affairs from 1992 to 1994, Deputy Director of the Office of Soviet Union (later Russian and CIS) Affairs from 1989 to 1992, and Counselor for Political-Military Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Rome from 1986 to 1989. His other foreign assignments included Budapest and Jerusalem, as well as service on the U.S. Delegation to the START arms control negotiations in 1985.
In addition, he has served in a number of positions at the State Department in Washington, D.C. and held a fellowship, working in the United States Congress. He has received a number of awards, including the State Department Distinguished Honor Award.
John Tefft is a native of Madison, Wisconsin and holds a Bachelor’s degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a Master’s degree in history from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Among his awards are the State Department’s distinguished Honor Award in 1992 and the DCM of the Year Award for his service in Moscow in 1999. He received Presidential Meritorious Service Awards in 2001 and 2005.
Tefft is married to Mariella Cellitti Tefft, a biostatistician and nurse. They have two daughters, Christine, 32, a lawyer in Washington, DC and Cathleen, 28, an Executive Assistant at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.
