Heidt, William A., 1961-

<p>William A. Heidt, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, currently serves as Executive Assistant, Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment in the Department of State. He is known for his impressive interpersonal skills, policy sense and strong management abilities. His creative, innovative leadership and deep knowledge of Cambodia and the region will enable him to advance bilateral relations with Cambodia, an important U.S. partner in Southeast Asia.</p>

<p>Previously, Mr. Heidt served the Department of State as Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, Warsaw, Poland (2009-2012), Counselor for Economic and Social Affairs, U.S. Mission to the United Nations, New York (2007-2009), Economic Counselor, U.S. Embassy, Jakarta, Indonesia (2004-2007), Special Assistant, Office of the Under Secretary for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs (2003-2004), Finance and Development Officer, Embassy, Jakarta, Indonesia (2000-2003) and Economic and Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Phnom Penh, Cambodia (1997-1999). He was Economic Officer, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (1995-1996), Economic Officer, Office of Korean Affairs (1992-1994), Economic Officer, Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (1990-1992) and Consular Officer, U.S. Consulate, Poznan, Poland (1988-1990).</p>

<p>Mr. Heidt earned a B.A at Pennsylvania State University in 1984 and an M.A. at George Washington University in 1986. Awards include Department of State Senior Foreign Service Performance, Superior Honor and Meritorious Honor, as well as Joint Department of State and Department of Labor Award for Excellence in Labor Diplomacy. He speaks fluent Cambodian as well as Polish, Indonesian and German.</p>

<p>William A. Heidt, a career member of the Foreign Service, was nominated on April 7, 2015, to be the next U.S. ambassador to Cambodia. If he’s confirmed, it will be his first ambassadorial posting.</p>

<p>Heidt is from Erie, Pennsylvania, one of seven children of Robert, who owned and operated an excavation business, and Audrey, a teacher. Heidt was an Eagle Scout and attended McDowell High School, graduating in 1979. He went on to Penn State University, earning his B.A. in 1984. Heidt continued his education at George Washington University, graduating with an M.A. in 1986.</p>

<p>He joined the Foreign Service in 1988, with his first posting in Poznan, Poland, as a consular officer. Heidt returned to Washington in 1990 to serve as an economic officer in the Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs. In 1992, he moved to a similar role in the Office of Korean Affairs and ultimately was an economic officer in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.</p>

<p>Heidt got his first taste of Southeast Asia, where he focused much of his career, and Cambodia in 1997, when he was posted for two years to the embassy in Phnom Penh as an economic and commercial officer. He was recognized for his efforts to improve workers’ rights, especially those of apparel workers and to counter illegal logging. In 2000, he was sent to Jakarta, Indonesia, as a finance and development officer.</p>

<p>He was brought home in 2003 to be a special assistant in the Office of the Under Secretary for Economics, Business and Agricultural Affairs. Heidt returned to Jakarta the following year as economic officer in the embassy there.</p>

<p>Heidt was posted to the United Nations in New York in 2007 as a counselor for economic and social affairs. He returned to Poland in 2009 to serve as deputy chief of mission in the Warsaw embassy.</p>

<p>Since 2012, Heidt has been executive assistant to the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment.</p>

<p>If he’s confirmed, Heidt is expected to focus on improving U.S.-Cambodia trade relations and reaching out to that country’s youth. He’ll also be keeping an eye on Cambodian politics leading up to that country’s election in 2018.</p>

<p>Heidt and his wife, Sotie, a contract specialist with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, have a son, Allen.</p>

<p>Ambassador William (Bill) Heidt, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister Counselor, assumed his duties as Deputy Commandant and International Affairs Advisor at the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy on November 4, 2019.</p>

<p>A career economic officer, Ambassador Heidt served on the faculty of the Eisenhower School from January – November 2019, teaching classes on economics, industry analysis and American Studies.</p>

<p>Before joining the Eisenhower School, Bill served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia from September 2015 to November 2018. During Ambassador Heidt’s tenure, he launched initiatives to expand trade and investment between the U.S. and Cambodia, strengthen respect for human rights and democracy, build Cambodia’s nascent technology sector, and empower Cambodia’s women entrepreneurs.</p>

<p>Prior to his service in Cambodia, Bill served as Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment at the Department of State. In that role, Bill helped shape U.S. global engagement on international economic, trade, energy, and environmental issues, including Secretarial initiatives on wildlife trafficking, ocean conservation, and economic diplomacy.</p>

<p>From 2009-12, Ambassador Heidt served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland. In Warsaw, he worked closely with the European Command to establish the first permanent U.S. military presence in Poland, directed preparations for a visit by President Obama, and managed the U.S. Government’s response to the tragic crash of the Polish President’s aircraft in 2010.</p>

<p>Ambassador Heidt’s other overseas tours include assignments in Jakarta, Indonesia; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Poznan, Poland. After his first tour in Phnom Penh, Ambassador Heidt was awarded the joint Department of State-Department of Labor “Excellence in Labor Diplomacy” award in recognition of his outstanding work in support of workers’ rights and independent trade unions in Cambodia.</p>

<p>Ambassador Heidt has also completed domestic economic policy assignments in Washington and in New York. In the latter role, he served as Counselor for Economic and Social Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations from 2007-09 where led U.S. negotiations for the second Global Conference on Financing for Development in 2008 and represented the United States on a wide range of global development, economic, human rights, and democracy issues.</p>

<p>Ambassador Heidt is the recipient of numerous Superior Honor, Meritorious Honor and Senior Performance awards. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Service and International Politics from Pennsylvania State University and a Master’s degree in International Relations from George Washington University. He is an honors graduate of the Department of State’s Economic Training Course, and speaks Polish, Cambodian, Indonesian, and German. He was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, and is married with one son.</p>

<p>William A. "Bill" Heidt (born 1961) is an American diplomat who was the United States Ambassador to Cambodia from 2015 to 2018. He was nominated on April 7, 2015, by President Barack Obama to succeed William E. Todd. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 5, 2015, and sworn in on September 14, 2015. His term ended on November 28, 2018.</p>