NOTE: The Ambassador’s remarks on July 16 will be Off The Record. No recordings will be made.
Ambassador Beth Jones was appointed Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan in October 2011. She was a Foreign Service Officer for 35 years and achieved the highest rank of Career Ambassador. She worked at a Washington-based consulting firm for six years before returning to the State Department in 2011.
Beth Jones was Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia for four years (2001-2005) under Secretary Powell. She served as U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan from 1995 to 1998 and as Special Advisor for Caspian Energy Diplomacy, 2000-2001. Her other senior positions included Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Near East, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassies in Bonn and Islamabad and Executive Assistant to Secretary of State Warren Christopher. Her other overseas postings were in Kabul, Cairo, Amman, Baghdad and Berlin.
Ambassador Jones received a BA in history from Swarthmore College in 1970 and an MA in International Relations/Strategic Studies from Boston University in 1986. She speaks German and Russian and retains some knowledge of Arabic. She is married to Donald A. Ruschman and has two adult children.