Ambassador
Ambassador Richard Olson
Biography
Richard Olson presented his credentials on October 14, 2008. He is a career foreign service officer and a member of the senior foreign service, having most recently served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) from 2006-2008.
Mr. Olson joined the U.S. Department of State in 1982. He has served in Mexico, Uganda, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia (as the Embassy's liaison officer to General Schwarzkopf during the 1991 Gulf War), Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, where he served both at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi (1999-2001) and as US Consul General in Dubai (2001-2003), and in Najaf, Iraq..
His Washington assignments include: State Department Operations Center (twice), NATO Desk, the Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs (twice, including as Director), and the Office of Iraqi Affairs (NEA/I), including as Director.
He graduated from Brown University in 1981, receiving an A.B. in Law and Society (Honors) and History.
Mr. Olson has been awarded the Secretary of Defense’s Exceptional Civilian Service Award (for his service in Iraq), and the State Department’s Superior Honor Award (three times).
Mr. Olson is married to Foreign Service Officer Deborah Jones, currently the U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait. They have two daughters.
