John Godfrey (diplomat)
John T. Godfrey is an American diplomat and foreign policy advisor serving as acting coordinator for counterterrorism. He is the nominee to serve as United States ambassador to Sudan. Education. Godfrey earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Arts in Middle East and North Africa studies from the University of Michigan. Career. Godfrey began his career as an assistant to the assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs. He later served as political and economic chief in Ashgabat and as a political officer in  Damascus. From 2007 to 2009, he served as a political and economic counselor at the U.S. embassy in Tripoli. In 2009 and 2010, he served as deputy political counselor for northern affairs at the Embassy of the United States, Baghdad. After serving as an arms control counselor at the United Nations Office at Vienna, he was chief of staff for Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns. He later served in the U.S. embassy in Riyadh. Since January 2021, Godfrey has served as acting coordinator for counterterrorism. Ambassador to Sudan. On January 26, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Godfrey to  be the ambassador to Sudan. If confirmed, Godfrey would be the first diplomat to serve in a permanent role there since Timothy M. Carney in 1996. Personal life. Godfrey speaks Arabic.