Storella, Mark Charles, 1959-

Ambassador Mark C. Storella (born 1959) is a member of the Senior Foreign Service. He notably served as U.S. Ambassador to Zambia (2010-2013) and, most recently, as Dean of the Leadership and Management School at the Foreign Service Institute (2019-2020).

Prior to being named Dean at the FSI, Ambassador Storella was Senior State Department Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University where he taught courses on diplomatic statecraft and humanitarian affairs. From 2016-2018, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration with responsibility for $2.0 billion in U.S. humanitarian assistance in Asia and the Near East. He served as Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy Brussels from 2013-2016, focused on U.S.-Belgian security ties and counterterrorism efforts.

As U.S. Ambassador to Zambia from 2010-2013, he launched a new military-military relationship with the Zambian government and oversaw $450 million in development assistance, with a focus on innovative health and governance programs. Ambassador Storella was the Senior Coordinator for Iraqi Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Baghdad from 2009-2010 and served as Deputy Permanent Representative at the U.S. Mission in Geneva from 2006-2009. In that capacity, he engaged with over 40 UN agencies and international organizations on such diverse topics as global health, UN reform, human rights, and protection of intellectual property. From 2001-2003, Ambassador Storella was adjunct professor at Georgetown University where he taught graduate and undergraduate courses on humanitarian action. Ambassador Storella was Deputy Chief of Mission in Cambodia and Executive Assistant to the Counselor of the State Department. He previously served on the Japan and NATO desks and was also posted in Bangkok, Paris, and Rome.

Ambassador Storella is the recipient of several State Department Superior and Meritorious Honor awards. He is also the recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Award presented by American Citizens Abroad and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Excellence in Service Award. His languages are French, Khmer, Italian and Thai. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and has published articles on diverse topics such as multilateral arms control, counterterrorism, humanitarian action in conflict situations, and global health diplomacy.