Lynne M. Tracy is an American

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

who is the

United States ambassador to Russia The ambassador of the United States of America to the Russian Federation is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary from the United States of America to the Russian Federation. Since September 4, 2022, Elizabeth Rood is serving as the ...

, serving since January 2023. She formerly served as the

United States ambassador to Armenia Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet Union on August 23, 1990, having previously been the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, one of the constituent republics of the USSR since 1936, and part of the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated S ...

from 2019 to 2022.

Early life and education

Tracy was born in

Barberton, Ohio Barberton is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 26,550 at the 2010 census. Lying directly southwest of Akron, it is a suburb of the Akron metropolitan area. History Barberton was founded in 1891 by industrialist O. ...

, one of three daughters of Albert and Carol Pontius Tracy. She earned a B.A. in Soviet Studies from the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

in 1986, and a J.D. in 1994 from the

University of Akron School of Law The University of Akron School of Law is the law school at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, USA. Offering both the J.D. and LL.M. degrees, it was founded in 1921 as the Akron School of Law and merged with the University of Akron in 195 ...

.The White House "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration Posts" 21 September 201

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Career

Embarking on a career in Foreign Service, Tracy served in a variety of international assignments, focused especially in Central and South Asia, including deputy chief of mission in the embassy in

Ashgabat Ashgabat or Asgabat ( tk, Aşgabat, ; fa, عشق‌آباد, translit='Ešqābād, formerly named Poltoratsk ( rus, Полтора́цк, p=pəltɐˈratsk) between 1919 and 1927), is the capital and the largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies ...

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...

, principal officer in

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

from 1995 to 1997, and principal officer in

Astana Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

. Tracy served as political officer in

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

from 2002 to 2003, consular officer in

Bishkek Bishkek ( ky, Бишкек), ), formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. The region surrounds the city, although the city itself is not part of ...

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the east. ...

from 1997 to 2000; and as political/consular officer in Peshawar, Pakistan. In domestic assignments she served as desk officer for Kazakhstan from 2003 to 2004 and for

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

in the

Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs In the United States Government, the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR) is part of the United States Department of State, charged with implementing U.S. foreign policy and promoting U.S. interests in Europe and Eurasia (which it defin ...

from 2001 to 2002, and staff assistant for the special envoy for the Newly-Independent States at the

Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...

from 2000 to 2001.U.S. Department of State "Secretary Clinton to Present Lynne Tracy with the Secretary's Award for Heroism" 3 December 200

accessed 1 March 2019 On August 26, 2008, while stationed as principal officer in Peshawar, she was attacked by gunmen who sprayed her automobile with bullets, shooting out the front tires. Tracy, her bodyguard and driver all escaped. The Secretary's Award for Heroism recognized her "quick thinking", her return to work on the same day, and her continuation in her role despite the risks. Tracy was director for Central Asia at the

National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...

from 2011 to 2012. From 2012 to 2014, she was deputy assistant secretary for Central Asia in the

Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) is an agency within the United States Department of State that is responsible for the U.S. government's relations with countries in the South and Central Asian region. The bureau is headed by t ...

. From 2014 to 2017, Tracy was the deputy chief of mission at the embassy in Moscow, Russia. In 2017, Tracy received a

Distinguished Honor Award The Distinguished Honor Award is an award of the United States Department of State. Similar versions of the same award exist for the former U.S. Information Agency, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and USAID. It is presented to groups or i ...

for her contribution as deputy chief of mission in Moscow.

United States ambassador to Armenia

On September 28, 2018, President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

nominated Tracy as United States ambassador to

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

, and she was confirmed by the Senate on January 2, 2019. Tracy's approval was preceded by intense questioning by Senators

Bob Menendez Robert Menendez (; born January 1, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from New Jersey, a seat he has held since 2006. Gale Biography In Context. A member of the Democratic Party, he was firs ...

and Ed Markey about U.S. policy with regard to Turkey's denial of the Armenian genocide. She was sworn in as ambassador in February 2019. Tracy presented her credentials on March 1. She left office on December 20, 2022. On December 7, 2022, the Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan awarded Lynne Tracy with the Medal of Honor of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia.

United States ambassador to Russia

Tracy was nominated by President Joe Biden on September 20, 2022, for the ambassadorship to Russia. Ambassador John Sullivan left Moscow on September 4, 2022, and stated he would retire. Hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on November 30, 2022. The committee favorably reported her nomination to the Senate floor on December 7, 2022. Her nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 21, 2022 by a 93–2 vote. She was sworn in on January 9, 2023, and presented her credentials at the end of that month.

Personal life

Tracy speaks Russian.

Distinctions

Medal of Honour of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tracy, Lynne M 21st-century American diplomats 21st-century American women Ambassadors of the United States to Armenia Ambassadors of the United States to Russia American women ambassadors Living people University of Akron alumni University of Georgia alumni United States Foreign Service personnel Year of birth missing (living people) American women diplomats