Daughton, Thomas Frederick, 1963-

<p>In a foreign service career spanning three decades and five U.S. Presidents, Ambassador (ret.) Thomas F. Daughton served in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean, as well as in Washington, D.C. In his last assignment before retiring from government service in late 2019, Daughton was deputy commandant at the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Management, one of the nation's premier war colleges. As Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia, Daughton revitalized the U.S. government’s multimillion-dollar HIV/AIDS program in that country, significantly improving its reach and impact. As senior advisor for security negotiations and agreements, Daughton strategized and negotiated complex security agreements for the U.S. defense department with partner countries around the world.</p>

<p>In much of his 18 years of service overseas, Daughton held leadership positions in U.S. embassies, particularly on the African continent. He served as deputy chief of mission (deputy ambassador and chief operating officer) in Gabon, Algeria and Lebanon, gaining extensive experience in promoting U.S. diplomatic and national security interests in dynamic, high-threat environments. He also acquired expertise in analyzing foreign cultures and political systems in earlier assignments in Malaysia, Greece, Morocco and Jamaica.</p>

<p>Daughton received the 2012 Secretary of State’s Award for Excellence in International Security Affairs and other honors. Originally from Arizona, Daughton now lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, a democracy and peace-building specialist. Prior to joining the foreign service, he worked in New York as an associate at a major law firm. He is a graduate of Amherst College and the University of Virginia School of Law.</p>

<p>Thomas Frederick Daughton (born March 1961) is an American diplomat and career member of the Senior Foreign Service currently serving as Deputy Commandant and International Affairs Advisor at the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. From 2014 through 2017, he was the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia.</p>

<p>Daughton was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He graduated from Amherst College in 1983 and the University of Virginia School of Law in 1987.</p>

<p>Daughton joined the United States Foreign Service in 1989 after working as an associate at the New York office of the Chicago-based law firm Sidley & Austin. His 30 years as an American diplomat have included overseas assignments at the U.S. embassies in Kingston, Jamaica (1989–1991); Rabat, Morocco (1991–1993); and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2003–2006); and at the U.S. consulate general in Thessaloniki, Greece (1997–2000).</p>

<p>Daughton held the first of his three assignments as a deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Libreville, Gabon from 2000 to 2003, where he served as chargé d'affaires, ad interim, (2001–20020 during a yearlong gap between ambassadors.[4] He also served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassies in Algiers, Algeria (2006–2009) and Beirut, Lebanon (2009–2011).</p>

<p>From 2011 to 2013, Daughton was the senior advisor for security negotiations and agreements in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. For his work in that position negotiating international agreements in support of U.S. military activities in Afghanistan, he received the Secretary's Award for Excellence in International Security Affairs in 2012.</p>

<p>Daughton was nominated by Barack Obama to be U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia on July 31, 2013. Because of a dispute in the Senate over filibusters and confirmations, he became one of ten ambassadorial nominees who waited more than 400 days for confirmation. Daughton was confirmed by the Senate in a voice vote on September 17, 2014.</p>

<p>Thomas F. Daughton was nominated by President Obama to be U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia on July 31, 2013, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 17, 2014. Prior to his nomination, he was the Senior Advisor for Security Negotiations and Agreements in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, where he negotiated a variety of international agreements for the United States.</p>

<p>Prior to his assignment in Washington, Ambassador Daughton served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. He has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassies in Gabon and Algeria. His other overseas assignments include Jamaica, Morocco, Greece and Malaysia. In assignments in Washington earlier in his career, Ambassador Daughton served as staff assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and as the country desk officer for the Philippines.</p>

<p>A career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, Ambassador Daughton is the recipient of numerous awards from the State Department, including the Secretary’s Award for Excellence in International Security Affairs, as well as of the American Foreign Service Association’s Harriman and Sinclair awards.</p>

<p>Ambassador Daughton grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. He graduated from Amherst College and the University of Virginia School of Law. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he was an associate with the Sidley & Austin law firm in New York. He speaks French and Greek.</p>