William Brownfield

William Brownfield
Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office January 10, 2011
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	David Johnson
United States Ambassador to Colombia
In office September 12, 2007 – August 10, 2010
President	George W. Bush Barack Obama
Preceded by	William Wood
Succeeded by	Michael McKinley
United States Ambassador to Venezuela
In office October 15, 2004 – September 5, 2007
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Charles Shapiro
Succeeded by	Patrick Duddy
United States Ambassador to Chile
In office March 25, 2002 – July 19, 2004
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Philip Goldberg (Acting)
Succeeded by	Craig Kelly
Personal details
Born	1952 (age 63–64)
Spouse(s)	Kristie Kenney
Alma mater	Cornell University University of Texas, Austin National Defense University

William R. Brownfield (born 1952) is a Career Ambassador in the United States Foreign Service and the current Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs as of January 10, 2011.^[1] He has previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Venezuela, and Colombia.

Biography

A career Foreign Service Officer, William Brownfield was United States Ambassador to Colombia. He arrived in Colombia on August 31, 2007 and was accredited by Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on September 12, 2007. On August 3, 2010, the United States confirmed Peter Michael McKinley as the new ambassador to Colombia.

Prior to arriving in Colombia, Brownfield was Ambassador to Venezuela, and before that Chile.

Ambassador Brownfield's first assignment after joining the Foreign Service in 1979 was in Maracaibo, Venezuela. His other overseas postings include service as Counselor for Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva, and assignments in Argentina and El Salvador. He was temporarily assigned as Political Adviser to the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command in Panama 1989-1990.

In Washington, Ambassador Brownfield's assignments have included Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere (WHA), Director for Policy in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Executive Assistant in the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Member of the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff, and Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

Ambassador Brownfield is a graduate of St. Andrew's School (1970), Cornell University (1974) and the National War College (1993); he also attended the University of Texas School of Law (1976–1978).

Chávez attacks

In a nationally-televised speech on April 9, 2006, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez threatened to expel Brownfield for “provoking the Venezuelan people.”^[2] Chávez said “Start packing your bags, mister - if you keep on provoking us, start packing your bags, because I’ll kick you out of here.”^[2]

On 25 January 2007, Brownfield was again threatened with expulsion by President Chávez. Chávez was responding to Brownfield's comments on the planned nationalization of several Venezuelan companies in which US companies are minority shareholders.^[3]

Honduras

He was reportedly "not forthcoming" about the death of 4 civilians in Honduras, shot from a state department helicopter. ^[4]

Personal life

Brownfield is married to Kristie Kenney, Counselor of the State Department. He speaks Spanish with a pronounced Texas accent, and French adequately. Despite his long residence outside Texas, and the fact that he was not born in Texas, he considers himself a Texas native.

References

1. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/154184.htm
2. "Chavez threatens to expel U.S. ambassador". MSNBC News Service Online. 2006.
3. CNN.com
4. Geoff Earle; S.A. Miller (June 12, 2013). "State Department stymied probe into shooting of four Hondurans, whistleblower says". The New York Post.

External links

• State Department Biography page (Assistant Secretary)
• State Department Biography page (Venezuela)
• State Department Biography page (Chile)
• Interview with William Brownfield
• U.S. Embassy in Bogotá: Ambassador Brownfield
• Appearances on C-SPAN