Jones, Paul Wayne, 1960-

<p>Paul Wayne Jones (born 1960) is the current United States Ambassador to Pakistan and the former United States Ambassador to Poland. Prior to that, he served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the United States Department of State and earlier he served as the U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia. He arrived in Warsaw, Poland, and began serving as Ambassador on September 24, 2015. He is widely regarded as one of the Foreign Service's only senior experts on both Europe and East Asia.</p>

<p>Jones was born and raised in Yorktown Heights, New York. He earned his B.A. from Cornell University. His post-graduate work includes a Masters of Arts in Public Administration from University of Virginia and a Masters of Science in National Security Affairs from the Naval War College.</p>

<p>Jones joined the United States Foreign Service in 1987. For the next two years, he served as consular and political officer in Bogota, Colombia, during a period when narco-traffickers threatened the country. He returned to Washington in 1989, where he worked in the State Department’s 24-hour Operations Center during the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, U.S. military operations in Panama and coup attempts in the Philippines. Jones' next assignment was in Moscow, from 1992 to 1994. Jones returned to Washington as desk officer for the Benelux countries. After the Dayton Agreement, Jones was sent to Sarajevo beginning in January 1996 as the Executive Assistant to the Head of Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Ambassador Robert Frowick. Jones was then selected by Ambassador Christopher R. Hill to be the first Deputy Chief of Mission to Macedonia, where he served from the summer of 1996 to 1999.</p>

<p>After a year at the Naval War College, Jones served on the Secretary of State's staff as Director of the Secretariat Staff, working the transition between Secretaries Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell. He then became Director of the Balkans office in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. Jones graduated from the State Department’s Senior Seminar in 2004, and then was assigned as Deputy Chief of Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna until 2005.</p>

<p>Jones' career began to focus on Asia in 2005, when he was assigned as Chargé d'Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, under Ambassador Kristie Kenney. In January 2009, Richard Holbrooke asked Jones to serve as his Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Jones worked intensively with Holbrooke on Afghanistan and Pakistan until assuming his new role as the U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia in September 2010.</p>

<p>Jones was nominated by President Barack Obama for the position of Ambassador to Malaysia on July 12, 2010. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 5, 2010, and he was sworn in by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, D.C. on September 8. Jones arrived in Malaysia on September 13 and presented his Letter of Credence from President Obama to the then King of Malaysia, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, at the Palace on October 18, 2010.</p>

<p>In his role as ambassador, Jones has emphasized strengthening ties between the United States and Malaysia in education and exchanges, science and technology, trade and investment, entrepreneurship, and security. During Jones' tenure, both Secretary of State Clinton and United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates separately made their first ever visits to Malaysia in November 2010.</p>

<p>After serving as ambassador, Jones returned to the United States joining the U.S. Department of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. He served as the Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary from 2013-2015. He was responsible for all aspects of U.S. policy and operations in Europe, particularly Russia and Ukraine. In this role, he was particularly well known for his interest in cooperation among the Arctic nations.</p>

<p>On June 8, 2015, Jones was nominated to serve as the United States Ambassador to Poland. Ambassador Jones had his hearing before the U.S. Senate on July 24, 2015 during which he said, "Poland has become one of our closest allies in NATO." He also stated, "Our partnership is based on democratic values and engagement in politics aimed at peace and social prosperity." U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry swore in Ambassador Jones on September 11, 2015. He arrived in Warsaw, Poland, and began serving as Ambassador on September 24, 2015. He left his post on July 28, 2018.</p>

<p>Ambassador Paul W. Jones became U.S. Chargé d’Affaires a.i. to Pakistan in September 2018.</p>

<p>Jones received the Robert C. Frasure Memorial Award for peace building in the southern Philippines in 2008. He is the recipient of the Presidential Meritorious Service Award and several Superior Honor Awards.</p>

<p>Jones is married to Catherine Jones, an award-winning author and freelance writer, who is the daughter of retired U.S. Ambassador Brandon Grove and Marie Cheremeteff Abernethy. They have two children, Aleksandra and Hale. In addition to English Jones also speaks Spanish, Russian and some Polish.</p>

<p>Paul W. Jones, a career member of the State Department’s Senior Foreign Service, was confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to Poland on August 5, 2015. It is the second such post for Jones.</p>

<p>Born in Yorktown Heights, New York, in 1960, Jones graduated from Yorktown High School, where he acted in school plays and played soccer. He went on to Cornell University and subsequently earned an MA in public administration from the University of Virginia in 1985. Later, he earned an MS from the Naval War College, where he wrote a long paper in 2000 on how the newly independent country of Macedonia managed to survive its turbulent early years.</p>

<p>Jones has served in a variety of assignments in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He joined the State Department in 1987 after needing a few attempts to pass the Foreign Service exam. Early postings included Colombia (1987-1989), Russia (1992-1994), and Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by such postings as Deputy Chief of the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Deputy Chief of Mission in Macedonia (1996-1999) during the refugee crisis resulting from the conflict in Kosovo. In Washington, he served twice on the staff of the Secretary of State — in the 24-hour Operations Center and as Director of the Secretariat Staff (2000-2001).</p>

<p>From 2001 to 2003, Jones acted as Director in the State Department’s Office of South Central Europe and from 2004 to 2005 at the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna, Austria.</p>

<p>Jones functioned as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires in the Philippines, from September 2005 to February 2009, and as Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and concurrently Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan and Pakistan, from February 2009 to September 2010.</p>

<p>In 2010, Jones assumed his first ambassadorial post, as the U.S. envoy to Malaysia. While there, he focused on educational projects; getting Malaysian students chances for advanced study; and promoting exchanges for American students in that country.</p>

<p>Jones returned to Washington in 2013 to serve as principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.</p>

<p>Jones speaks Spanish, Russian, and some Polish. An avid tennis player and fan since childhood, Jones participated in a celebrity tennis tournament in Malaysia, which benefited local charities. He is married to Catherine Cheremeteff Jones, whom he met while on assignment to Moscow. She is a French-trained chef and author of food and health books and the daughter of retired American diplomat Brandon Grove, Jr. Her mother, Marie Cheremeteff Abernethy, is married to former NBC News correspondent Bob Abernethy. The Joneses have a daughter, Aleksandra, and a son, Hale.</p>