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Amb.Edward B. O’Donnell, Jr. Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues

Edward B. O’Donnell, Jr. has been Ambassador and Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues at the U.S. Department of State since December 2003. His office is responsible for restitution and claims issues resulting from the Holocaust such as providing assistance to Holocaust survivors and their families. His office also has been responsible for developing policies and programs to counter anti-Semitism, working with European governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). He was Executive Assistant to Under Secretary of State Stuart Eizenstat who negotiated major Holocaust agreements with Germany, France, and Austria and several major European insurance companies. Ambassador O’Donnell is now charged with representing U.S. interests in implementing those agreements. Previously, he was Director of the State Department Liaison Office to the United States House of Representatives. His last overseas post was as Consul General in Frankfurt, Germany, the largest U.S. Consulate and one of the largest U.S. diplomatic posts with more than 800 American and Foreign Service national employees representing 17 U.S. government agencies. From 1999 until 2002, he was Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Panama. Mr. O’Donnell has dedicated more than one-half of his diplomatic career to European economic and political issues. Previous positions include: Economic Counselor, U.S. Embassy, Vienna; German Desk Officer for political, political-military and Holocaust issues; East German Desk Officer and Commercial Officer, U.S. Mission Berlin. Ambassador O’Donnell also held a number of positions in Latin America and was on the Policy Planning Staff of the U.S. State Department. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Ambassador O’Donnell served for four years on active duty with the U.S. Army, and was in the active Army Reserve for 26 years including two command assignments as a Colonel. He was appointed by President Bush as a member of the Council of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Ambassador O’Donnell received his Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He has a Master of Arts Degree in International Studies from the American University in Washington, DC and studied economics at Heidelberg University in Germany. He speaks fluent German and Spanish. Ambassador O’Donnell is married. He and his wife have three children and three grandchildren and live in Fairfax, Virginia.