Victor Jackovich
Encyclopedia
Victor Jackovich is an American
diplomat
and former ambassador who was the first United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina
. He later became Ambassador to Slovenia
.
, on April 24, 1948 to Mary and Victor Sr. He has a much younger sister named Janet who married in 1983 and became Janet Clark. He is a graduate of Indiana University
, where he studied in the Russian and East European Institute and received both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree (awarded in 1971).
As a career officer in the U.S. Foreign Service, he held assignments in Kiev
(1979–1980), where he helped to start the first U.S. government office in Ukraine
; Bucharest
(1980–1983); Nairobi
(1983–1986); Moscow
(1988–1990); and Sofia, Bulgaria (1991). He is fluent in several languages. In 1990 and 1991 he directed the U.S. Department of State’s Task Force on the Balkan crisis and in 1992 and 1993 he led U.S. delegations to international conferences on the Balkans. In 1992, during the dissolution of the Soviet Union
, he led the first U.S. representation to the newly independent state of Moldova
.
. He presented his credentials the following year, on June 23, 1993, and opened the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo in 1994. His role as ambassador there from 1992 to 1995 was largely focused on negotiating with the warring factions in support of American objectives in the region. In 1994 he was awarded the U.S. government's Distinguished Presidential Award (1994) for diplomatic service. The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina recognized his service in 1995 with the Golden Eagle Award, the country's national medal
. In 2000 the University of Sarajevo
gave him an honorary degree
and he was named an honorary citizen of Sarajevo
.
Jackovich left his position in Bosnia in April 1995 and was appointed Ambassador to Slovenia
in September of that year. As Ambassador to Slovenia from 1995 to 1998, he participated in organizing the establishment of U.S. government operations in the country, which efforts contributed to Slovenia's subsequent memberships in NATO and the European Union
.
’s Max Kampelman
Award for “advancing the rule of law in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union,” and in 1999 he received the Serb Civic Society Award. From 1999 to 2002, he served as Associate Director of the George Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch, Germany
, a U.S. Department of Defense training institute for military and political leadership in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
In 2002 and 2003, in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, Jackovich undertook an assignment as the U.S. government’s Senior Political Advisor for U.S. Military Operations in Afghanistan
, working from Bagram Air Base
. In this position he was responsible for providing policy direction and recommendations to military, security and counter-terrorism
operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan
and Central Asia
. He played a key role in the founding of the Tripartite Commission, a high-level gathering of American, Afghan and Pakistani military and government officials developing policies on cross-border terrorism, and he served as the U.S. representative to the Commission. In 2003, he received the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, conferred by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
for “policy guidance provided and special programs designed for the U.S. European Command – EUCOM – in order to accelerate integration of new democracies of Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union into NATO and Euro-Atlantic associations.”
In 2004 he retired from the U.S. government with 33 years of service. In the following year, he became Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
in Washington, DC. He now works as a consultant
to U.S. defense contractor
s and other entities, serving both as president of the Washington-based consulting firm Jackovich International and vice president for international relations for Ervin Technical Associates. Currently he is also U.S. representative on the European Union’s Business Advisory Council for Southeast Europe and a member of the board of trustees of a northern Italian
and central Europe
an business and policy association.
Jackovich is married to Deborah Jones, also a U.S. diplomat. Jackovich has one son.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
and former ambassador who was the first United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina
United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina
This is a list of United States ambassadors to Bosnia and Herzegovina.The United States recognized the independence of Bosnia-Herzegovina on April 7, 1992, and announced the establishment of diplomatic relations August 6, 1992. A U.S. Embassy was established on November 10, 1993, on the premises of...
. He later became Ambassador to 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...
.
Early life and education
Victor Jackovich was born in Des Moines, IowaDes Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, on April 24, 1948 to Mary and Victor Sr. He has a much younger sister named Janet who married in 1983 and became Janet Clark. He is a graduate of Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, where he studied in the Russian and East European Institute and received both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree (awarded in 1971).
As a career officer in the U.S. Foreign Service, he held assignments in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
(1979–1980), where he helped to start the first U.S. government office in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
; Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
(1980–1983); 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...
(1983–1986); Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(1988–1990); and Sofia, Bulgaria (1991). He is fluent in several languages. In 1990 and 1991 he directed the U.S. Department of State’s Task Force on the Balkan crisis and in 1992 and 1993 he led U.S. delegations to international conferences on the Balkans. In 1992, during the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, he led the first U.S. representation to the newly independent state of Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
.
Ambassadorships
On May 12, 1992, he was appointed as the first U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. He presented his credentials the following year, on June 23, 1993, and opened the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo in 1994. His role as ambassador there from 1992 to 1995 was largely focused on negotiating with the warring factions in support of American objectives in the region. In 1994 he was awarded the U.S. government's Distinguished Presidential Award (1994) for diplomatic service. The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina recognized his service in 1995 with the Golden Eagle Award, the country's national medal
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
. In 2000 the University of Sarajevo
University of Sarajevo
The University of Sarajevo is the first university in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was originally established in 1531 as a Madrasah or Islamic Law college, with a modern university being established and expanded on top of that in 1949. Today, with 23 faculties and around 55,000 enrolled students, it...
gave him an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
and he was named an honorary citizen of Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
.
Jackovich left his position in Bosnia in April 1995 and was appointed Ambassador to Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
in September of that year. As Ambassador to Slovenia from 1995 to 1998, he participated in organizing the establishment of U.S. government operations in the country, which efforts contributed to Slovenia's subsequent memberships in 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...
.
Later career
In 1998 and 1999, Jackovich led the U.S. delegation to the Royaumont Process, linking U.S., European and other international efforts in southeastern Europe. He was the 1998 recipient of the American Bar AssociationAmerican Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
’s Max Kampelman
Max Kampelman
Max Kampelman, born Max Kampelmacher , is former head of the American delegation to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. He was born in New York...
Award for “advancing the rule of law in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union,” and in 1999 he received the Serb Civic Society Award. From 1999 to 2002, he served as Associate Director of the George Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, a U.S. Department of Defense training institute for military and political leadership in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.
In 2002 and 2003, in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, Jackovich undertook an assignment as the U.S. government’s Senior Political Advisor for U.S. Military Operations in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, working from Bagram Air Base
Bagram Air Base
Bagram Airfield, also referred to as Bagram Air Base, is a militarized airport and housing complex that is located next to the ancient city of Bagram, southeast of Charikar in Parwan province of Afghanistan. The base is run by a US Army division headed by a major general. A large part of the base,...
. In this position he was responsible for providing policy direction and recommendations to military, security and counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
. He played a key role in the founding of the Tripartite Commission, a high-level gathering of American, Afghan and Pakistani military and government officials developing policies on cross-border terrorism, and he served as the U.S. representative to the Commission. In 2003, he received the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, conferred by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
for “policy guidance provided and special programs designed for the U.S. European Command – EUCOM – in order to accelerate integration of new democracies of Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union into NATO and Euro-Atlantic associations.”
In 2004 he retired from the U.S. government with 33 years of service. In the following year, he became Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Center for Strategic and International Studies is a bipartisan Washington, D.C., foreign policy think tank. The center was founded in 1962 by Admiral Arleigh Burke and Ambassador David Manker Abshire, originally as part of Georgetown University...
in Washington, DC. He now works as a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
to U.S. defense contractor
Defense contractor
A defense contractor is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a military department of a government. Products typically include military aircraft, ships, vehicles, weaponry, and electronic systems...
s and other entities, serving both as president of the Washington-based consulting firm Jackovich International and vice president for international relations for Ervin Technical Associates. Currently he is also U.S. representative on the European Union’s Business Advisory Council for Southeast Europe and a member of the board of trustees of a northern Italian
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
and central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
an business and policy association.
Jackovich is married to Deborah Jones, also a U.S. diplomat. Jackovich has one son.