Janice L. Jacobs
Encyclopedia
Janice Lee Jacobs is a United States
career diplomat
who was United States Ambassador to Senegal
and United States Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau
in 2006 and 2007 and who is the current Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
, having held that office since June 2008.
, receiving a B.A.
in French
in 1968. Her husband, Ken Friedman, works for the Department of Defense. Jacobs spent many years overseas as a dependent of her father who was an education officer with USAID and of her first husband, Royce Fichte, a Foreign Service Officer.
Jacobs joined the United States Foreign Service
in her own right in March 1980. In her career as a Foreign Service Officer, she was posted in Senegal
, the Dominican Republic
, Ecuador
, Egypt
, Ethiopia
(twice), France
, Mexico
(twice), Nigeria
, and Thailand
. She also spent time posted to the United States Department of State
in Washington, D.C.
, in the State Department’s Visa
Office, Operations Center, and Office of Cuban Affairs. She spent 1994-95 studying at the National War College
and received a master's degree
in National Security
Strategy
. In 2000, she became Deputy Chief of Mission
of the United States Embassy in Santo Domingo
. In October 2002, she moved to Washington, D.C.
to become Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services.
In February 2006, President of the United States
George W. Bush
named Jacobs United States Ambassador to Senegal
and United States Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau
. She presented her credentials on May 9, 2006 and formally left Dakar
on July 15, 2007.
President Bush nominated Jacobs as Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
and she was sworn in to this office on June 10, 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
career diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
who was United States Ambassador to Senegal
United States Ambassador to Senegal
The United States Ambassador to Senegal is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Senegal. The ambassador is concurrently the ambassador to Guinea-Bissau, while resident in Dakar, Senegal....
and United States Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau
United States Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau
The United States Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Guinea-Bissau. The U.S. Ambassador to Senegal is concurrently commissioned to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau....
in 2006 and 2007 and who is the current Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs is the head of the Bureau of Consular Affairs within the United States Department of State. The Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs reports to the Under Secretary of State for Management...
, having held that office since June 2008.
Biography
Janice L. Jacobs was educated at Southern Illinois UniversitySouthern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
, receiving a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
in 1968. Her husband, Ken Friedman, works for the Department of Defense. Jacobs spent many years overseas as a dependent of her father who was an education officer with USAID and of her first husband, Royce Fichte, a Foreign Service Officer.
Jacobs joined the United States Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
in her own right in March 1980. In her career as a Foreign Service Officer, she was posted in Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
(twice), France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(twice), Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. She also spent time posted to the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, in the State Department’s Visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
Office, Operations Center, and Office of Cuban Affairs. She spent 1994-95 studying at the National War College
National War College
The National War College of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. It was officially established on July 1, 1946, as an upgraded replacement for the...
and received a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in National Security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
Strategy
Strategy
Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
. In 2000, she became Deputy Chief of Mission
Deputy Chief of Mission
A Deputy Chief of Mission , is the number-two diplomat assigned to an embassy or other diplomatic mission. He or she is usually considered the second-in-command or top lieutenant to the Head of Mission...
of the United States Embassy in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
. In October 2002, she moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to become Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services.
In February 2006, President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
named Jacobs United States Ambassador to Senegal
United States Ambassador to Senegal
The United States Ambassador to Senegal is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Senegal. The ambassador is concurrently the ambassador to Guinea-Bissau, while resident in Dakar, Senegal....
and United States Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau
United States Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau
The United States Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Guinea-Bissau. The U.S. Ambassador to Senegal is concurrently commissioned to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau....
. She presented her credentials on May 9, 2006 and formally left Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
on July 15, 2007.
President Bush nominated Jacobs as Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs is the head of the Bureau of Consular Affairs within the United States Department of State. The Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs reports to the Under Secretary of State for Management...
and she was sworn in to this office on June 10, 2008.