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Johnny Young (diplomat)
Encyclopedia
Johnny Young was born on February 6, 1940 in Savannah, Georgia
and grew up in Philadelphia. He graduated from Temple University
with a bachelor's degree in 1966 and later went into the American Academy of Diplomacy before joing the U.S. State Department. He received a position as Budget and Fiscal Officer in Antananarivo
, Madagascar
followed by assignments in 1970 and 1972 as s supervisory General Services Officer in Conakry
, Guinea
and Nairobi
, Kenya
. In 1974, he was transferred to Doha
, Qatar
to provide administrative support to the newly expanded American embassy and the first American ambassador to Qatar. While in Qatar, Young served as Administrative Officer and Charge d' Affaires. After Qatar, he was assigned as the Administrative Counselor for Bridgetown
, Barbados
.
, Jordan
; and in 1985 served at The Hague
, Netherlands
. In 1988, he was selected for assignment to the Senior Seminar.
He then served as Ambassador to Sierra Leone
from 1989 to 1992, Togo
, 1994 to 1997, Bahrain
, 1997 2001, and Slovenia
, 2001-2004. During his time as ambssador to Slovenia he made two major goals, to continue the cooperation that the US and Slovenia have in a wide range of international fora and over a wide range of issues, and to work with Slovenia in making it the best candidate possible for entry into NATO and the European Union
.
Ambassador Young has received two cash awards for performance, the Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards, and two Group Honor Awards. He was also involved with Operation "Sharp Edge," which was responsible for U.S. support and evacuation efforts during the First Liberian Civil War. In addition, he received a Superior Group Award for serving as part of the Sierra Leone mission for their assistance in evacuating U.S. citizens following the coup in Freetown
in April 1992. He is married to Angelena Young and has 2 children.
He currently resides with his wife Angelena in Kensington, Maryland
.
with a bachelor's degree in 1966. Young was also recipient of the Obermayer Award presented annually to an outstanding graduate of the Philadelphia School Board in 1990.
He also was enrolled in the Institute of State and Local Government at the University of Pennsylvania
.
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
and grew up in Philadelphia. He graduated from Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
with a bachelor's degree in 1966 and later went into the American Academy of Diplomacy before joing the U.S. State Department. He received a position as Budget and Fiscal Officer in Antananarivo
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
followed by assignments in 1970 and 1972 as s supervisory General Services Officer in Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
, Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
and Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. In 1974, he was transferred to Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
to provide administrative support to the newly expanded American embassy and the first American ambassador to Qatar. While in Qatar, Young served as Administrative Officer and Charge d' Affaires. After Qatar, he was assigned as the Administrative Counselor for Bridgetown
Bridgetown
The city of Bridgetown , metropolitan pop 96,578 , is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael...
, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
.
Career
In 1979, Young returned to Washington, DC as Career Development Officer in the Bureau of Personnel. This was followed by a position as Executive Director for the Office of the Inspector General in 1981. Young then left in 1983 to be Administrative Counselor in AmmanAmman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
; and in 1985 served at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. In 1988, he was selected for assignment to the Senior Seminar.
He then served as Ambassador to Sierra Leone
United States Ambassador to Sierra Leone
The United States Ambassador to Sierra Leone is the official representative of the government of the United States to the government of Sierra Leone.-Ambassadors:*Herbert Reiner – Career FSO**Title: Chargé d'Affaires ad interim**Appointed: April 27, 1961...
from 1989 to 1992, Togo
United States Ambassador to Togo
This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Togo.Until 1955 French Togoland was a United Nations Trust Territory mandated by the U.N. to France. In 1955, French Togoland became the autonomous Republic of Togo within the French Community , although it retained its UN trusteeship status...
, 1994 to 1997, Bahrain
United States Ambassador to Bahrain
The United States Ambassador to Bahrain is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Bahrain.Until 1971, Bahrain had been part of a British protectorate along with the other sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf. In 1971 the protectorate ended and seven of...
, 1997 2001, and Slovenia
United States Ambassador to Slovenia
The diplomatic post of United States Ambassador to Slovenia was created after the disbanding of Yugoslavia and the United States recognizing the new nation of Slovenia on April 7, 1992. In August of that year, the American Embassy in Ljubljana opened and E. Allan Wendt officially took over as...
, 2001-2004. During his time as ambssador to Slovenia he made two major goals, to continue the cooperation that the US and Slovenia have in a wide range of international fora and over a wide range of issues, and to work with Slovenia in making it the best candidate possible for entry into NATO and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Ambassador Young has received two cash awards for performance, the Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards, and two Group Honor Awards. He was also involved with Operation "Sharp Edge," which was responsible for U.S. support and evacuation efforts during the First Liberian Civil War. In addition, he received a Superior Group Award for serving as part of the Sierra Leone mission for their assistance in evacuating U.S. citizens following the coup in Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
in April 1992. He is married to Angelena Young and has 2 children.
He currently resides with his wife Angelena in Kensington, Maryland
Kensington, Maryland
Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,873 at the 2000 census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 zip code and its population is an order of magnitude larger than that of the town at its center....
.
Education
Before joining the Foreign Service, Young graduated from Temple UniversityTemple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
with a bachelor's degree in 1966. Young was also recipient of the Obermayer Award presented annually to an outstanding graduate of the Philadelphia School Board in 1990.
He also was enrolled in the Institute of State and Local Government at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.