United States Ambassador to Lithuania
Which position did John F. Tefft hold from Jun 2000 to May 2003?
John F . Tefft John F . Tefft ( born August 16 , 1949 ) is an American diplomat who has served as a Foreign Service Officer since 1972 . He was confirmed as the United States Ambassador to Russia on July 31 , 2014 . He has previously served as the United States ambassador to Ukraine , Georgia , and Lithuania , as well as chargé daffaires of the Embassy of the United States in Moscow . Early life and education . Tefft was born in Madison , Wisconsin . He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marquette University and a Master of Arts in history from Georgetown University . Career . Tefft is a career member of the 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 , Vilnius , Tbilisi , and Kyiv . Until his appointment as ambassador to Georgia , he was the deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs since July 6 , 2004 . Tefft also served as International Affairs Advisor ( Deputy Commandant ) of the National War College in Washington , D.C . 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 chargé daffaires at the Embassy from November 1996 to September 1997 . Tefft 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 I arms control negotiations in 1985 . Ambassador to Ukraine . On September 30 , 2009 , President Barack Obama nominated Tefft as the ambassador to Ukraine and he was confirmed by the U.S . Senate on November 20 , 2009 . Tefft arrived in Ukraine on December 2 , 2009 and President Viktor Yushchenko accepted Teffts credentials of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary on December 7 , 2009 . The Ambassador expressed his hope for fruitful cooperation . Tefft delivered his speech in Ukrainian . On February 26 , 2013 , President Obama nominated Geoffrey R . Pyatt to succeed Tefft as Ambassador of the United States to Ukraine . Pyatt was sworn in on July 30 , 2013 and arrived in Ukraine on August 3 , 2013 . Ambassador to Russia . In July 2014 , President Obama nominated Tefft as the United States Ambassador to Russia in Moscow , after receiving Russias approval . The Senate confirmed Tefft in a voice vote on July 31 , 2014 . The confirmation followed several attempts as a number of ambassadorial appointments were being held up at the time . Strained relations with Russia over pro-separatist activity in eastern Ukraine , the countrys annexation of Crimea , and the alleged shooting down of a commercial airliner , prompted senators to finally approve the nomination . He presented his credentials to President Vladimir Putin on November 19 , 2014 and left the position on September 28 , 2017 . In 2016 , the Russian governor of the Samara Oblast , Nikolay Merkushkin , advised employees for help in paying wages and appeals to US Ambassador John Tefft . Awards . Tefft has received a number of awards , including the State Department 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 . Personal life . Tefft is married to Mariella Cellitti Tefft , a biostatistician and nurse . They have two daughters , Christine , a lawyer at the State Department and Cathleen , a program analyst at the National Endowment for the Humanities .