William Braucher Wood
Encyclopedia
William Braucher Wood was the former Ambassador from the United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. His term of appointment began April 16, 2007, which replaced the former US Ambassador to Afghanistan
, Ronald E. Neumann
.
William B. Wood presented his credentials on April 16, 2007, to the President of Afghanistan
, Hamid Karzai
, and was received as the U.S. Ambassador to that nation. Ambassador Wood was the US Ambassador to Colombia
from 2003-2007, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Acting Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs
, with responsibility for all aspects of U.S. foreign policy at the United Nations
and a number of other multilateral organizations from 1998 to 2002. Immediately before that assignment, Mr. Wood was Political Counselor at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, where he was the chief U.S. negotiator in the Security Council.
Ambassador William B. Wood has been a professional foreign service officer for more than 25 years. He has served abroad in Uruguay
, Argentina
, El Salvador
, Italy
, as part of the U.S. negotiating delegation at the 1992 CSCE Helsinki Summit, and as lead U.S. negotiator at the NATO High Level Task Force on conventional arms control. In Washington, he has served on the policy planning staff for Latin America, as a special assistant in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, as an expert in Latin American affairs on the staff of the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, and on a number of functional and regional desks. His other areas of expertise include multilateral affairs, peacekeeping operations, conventional arms control, economic development, and politico-military affairs.
Ambassador Wood has received the Department of State's meritorious and superior honor awards on repeated occasions. In 1998 he received the James Clement Dunn Award for Excellence for his work at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. In 2002, he received the Distinguished Service Award, the highest award offered by the Department of State.
After graduating from Regis High School
in New York City
in 1968, Wood received a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Philosophy
from Bucknell University
in 1973 and a Master of Business Administration
degree, with a specialization in international finance
, from the George Washington University
in 1975.
United States Ambassador to Afghanistan
The United States Ambassador to Afghanistan is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Afghanistan....
, Ronald E. Neumann
Ronald E. Neumann
Ronald E. Neumann was formerly the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan and previously served as ambassador to Bahrain and Algeria . He is the son of former ambassador Robert G. Neumann and traveled extensively after college in Afghanistan while his father was ambassador there...
.
William B. Wood presented his credentials on April 16, 2007, to the President of Afghanistan
President of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has only been a republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onwards. Before 1973, it was a monarchy that was governed by a variety of kings, emirs or shahs...
, Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
, and was received as the U.S. Ambassador to that nation. Ambassador Wood was the US Ambassador to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
from 2003-2007, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Acting Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs
Bureau of International Organization Affairs
The Bureau of International Organization Affairs is a bureau in the United States Department of State that creates and executes U.S. policy in the United Nations and other international organizations. It is headed by the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs.The IO...
, with responsibility for all aspects of U.S. foreign policy at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and a number of other multilateral organizations from 1998 to 2002. Immediately before that assignment, Mr. Wood was Political Counselor at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, where he was the chief U.S. negotiator in the Security Council.
Ambassador William B. Wood has been a professional foreign service officer for more than 25 years. He has served abroad in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, as part of the U.S. negotiating delegation at the 1992 CSCE Helsinki Summit, and as lead U.S. negotiator at the NATO High Level Task Force on conventional arms control. In Washington, he has served on the policy planning staff for Latin America, as a special assistant in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, as an expert in Latin American affairs on the staff of the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, and on a number of functional and regional desks. His other areas of expertise include multilateral affairs, peacekeeping operations, conventional arms control, economic development, and politico-military affairs.
Ambassador Wood has received the Department of State's meritorious and superior honor awards on repeated occasions. In 1998 he received the James Clement Dunn Award for Excellence for his work at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. In 2002, he received the Distinguished Service Award, the highest award offered by the Department of State.
After graduating from Regis High School
Regis High School (New York City)
Regis High School is a private Jesuit university-preparatory school for academically gifted Roman Catholic young men located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Annual class enrollment is limited to approximately 135 male students from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1968, Wood received a Bachelor of Arts
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...
degree in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from Bucknell University
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
in 1973 and a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
degree, with a specialization in international finance
International finance
International finance is the branch of economics that studies the dynamics of exchange rates, foreign investment, global financial system, and how these affect international trade. It also studies international projects, international investments and capital flows, and trade deficits. It includes...
, from the George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in 1975.