Patterson, Anne Woods, 1949-

<p>Ambassador Anne Patterson served as a Senior Fellow at Jackson from 2017 – 2018. Patterson is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (2013-2017) and Ambassador to Egypt (2011-2013), Pakistan (2007-2010), Colombia (2000-2003), and El Salvador (1997-2000). She recently retired with the rank of Career Ambassador after more than four decades in the Foreign Service. Amb. Patterson also served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, as well as Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, among other important assignments. In July 2017, Amb. Patterson was appointed to the National Defense Strategy Commission, charged by Congress with conducting a bipartisan and independent review of the country's national security needs.</p>

<p>The United States in August 2011 sent experienced senior diplomat Anne W. Patterson to be the U.S. Ambassador to Egypt as its revolution continues to develop and, potentially, affect American interests. Born on October 4, 1949, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Patterson earned a B.A. from Wellesley College in 1971 and attended graduate school at the University of North Carolina for a year.</p>

<p>Patterson joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1973 as an economic officer, and was promoted to Career Ambassador, the highest rank in the career Foreign Service, after 25 years’ service in 2008.</p>

<p>Early on, she held a variety of economic and political assignments, including in the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. Patterson served as economic counselor in Saudi Arabia from 1984 to 1988 and as political counselor to the US Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, from 1988 to 1991. Back in Washington, she served as office director for Andean affairs from 1991 to 1993 and principal deputy assistant secretary and deputy assistant secretary of Inter-American affairs from 1993 to 1996.</p>

<p>Patterson spent six years in Latin America, as ambassador to El Salvador from 1997 to 2000 and ambassador to Colombia from 2000 to 2003. She returned stateside for a series of assignments: State Department deputy inspector general from 2003 to 2004, deputy permanent representative and acting permanent representative to the United Nations from 2004 to 2005, and Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs from 2005 to 2007. Patterson then served as Ambassador to Pakistan from 2007 to 2010. According to a leaked diplomatic cable, while Patterson was in Pakistan, and only two months before former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated, Bhutto asked Patterson, in writing, for help in evaluating her security because she feared for her life, but Patterson and the George W. Bush administration took the position that her security was not the responsibility of the United States. In the words of the cable, “Ambassador strongly recommends against a U.S. Government evaluation, which would inevitably identify gaps (by American standards) in both equipment and training of personnel. The [U.S. Government] should either undertake full responsibility for Bhutto's personal security or not.”</p>

<p>Patterson is married to David R. Patterson, a retired Foreign Service officer. The couple has two sons, Edward and Andrew.</p>

<p>Anne Woods Patterson (born 1949) is an American diplomat and career Foreign Service Officer. She served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from 2013 to 2017. She previously served as United States Ambassador to Egypt until 2013 and as United States Ambassador to Pakistan from July 2007 to October 2010.</p>

<p>Patterson was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She attended The Hockaday School in Dallas, Texas. She received her bachelor's degree from Wellesley College and attended graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for one year.</p>

<p>Patterson entered the Foreign Service in 1973.</p>

<p>She served as a U.S. State Department Economic Officer and Counselor to Saudi Arabia from 1984 to 1988 and then as a Political Counselor at the United States Mission to the United Nations in Geneva from 1988 to 1991.</p>

<p>Patterson served as State Department Director for the Andean Countries from 1991 to 1993. She served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs from 1993 to 1996.</p>

<p>Patterson served as United States Ambassador to El Salvador from 1997 to 2000, and then as United States Ambassador to Colombia from 2000 to 2003. While ambassador to Colombia, Patterson and U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone were the alleged targets of a failed bomb plot while on an official visit to the Colombian town of Barrancabermeja. From 2003 to 2004 Patterson served as Deputy Inspector General of the US State Department.</p>

<p>In August 2004, Patterson was appointed Deputy U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Patterson became acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations after John Danforth resigned, effective January 20, 2005. An extended delay in the confirmation of John R. Bolton by the Senate (ending when Bolton assumed the position on August 1, 2005, after a recess appointment) caused Patterson to serve as interim permanent representative longer than expected.</p>

<p>Patterson became Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs on November 28, 2005, serving until May 2007. President George W. Bush appointed Patterson as the United States Ambassador to Pakistan after Ryan Crocker left that post to become Ambassador to Iraq. She served in Pakistan between July 2007 and October 2010.</p>

<p>In May 2011 U.S. President Obama nominated Patterson to be the U.S. Ambassador to Egypt. On June 30, 2011, the United States Senate confirmed Patterson by unanimous consent to be the United States Ambassador to Egypt.</p>

<p>During the protests that ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi from power on July 3, 2013, Patterson was singled out specially by the protesters for being too close to Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.</p>

<p>On August 1, 2013, Patterson was nominated to serve as the assistant secretary of state in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, which oversees the Middle East. The U.S. Senate confirmed Robert S. Beecroft to succeed her as ambassador to Egypt on June 26, 2014.</p>

<p>Patterson was considered for Defense Undersecretary for Policy under James Mattis; however, she was withdrawn after opposition from Tom Cotton, senator from Arkansas. Speculation was that Cotton favors a harshly anti-Muslim Brotherhood policy and Patterson's time as Ambassador to Egypt under President Morsi disqualified her in his eyes.</p>

<p>Patterson currently serves on the Commission on the National Defense Strategy for the United States and as the Kissinger Senior Fellow at the Yale University Jackson Institute for Global Affairs.</p>

<p>Patterson served a stint as President of the US-Qatar Business Council.</p>

<p>Patterson is married to David R. Patterson, a retired Foreign Service officer. The couple have two children.</p>

<p>Ambassador Patterson was the Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern and North African Affairs at the Department of State (2013-2017) before being appointed to the Dow Jones Special Committee in April 2018. She served as Ambassador to Egypt (2011-2013), to Pakistan (2007-2010), to Colombia (2000-2003) and to El Salvador (1997-2000). She recently retired with the rank of Career Ambassador after more than four decades in the Foreign Service. Ambassador Patterson also served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, among other assignments. She is currently a senior fellow at the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs at Yale and a member of the Commission on National Defense Strategy.</p>