BIOGRAPHY: Ambassador James D. McGee

Ambassador James D. McGee

James David McGee is United States ambassador to Zimbabwe. He most recently served as ambassador to Madagascar and the Comoros. If confirmed, McGee will succeed Ambassador Christopher Dell who is now serving in Afghanistan.

Mr. McGee began his career in the Foreign Service in 1981 and served as Third Secretary and Vice Consul at the American Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria, from 1982 to 1984. From 1984 to 1986, he served as Administrative Officer at the American Consulate General in Lahore, Pakistan. Mr. McGee served as Second Secretary and Supervisory General Services Officer at the American Embassy in The Hague, The Netherlands, from 1986 to 1989. From 1989 to 1991, he served as Administrative Officer at the American Consulate General in Bombay, India.

Mr. McGee was assigned to the U.S. Department of State as a Special Assistant in the Bureau of Finance and Management Policy from 1991 to 1992. In early 1992, he volunteered for duty at the American Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados, where he served as Administrative Counselor from 1992 to 1995. He served as Administrative Counselor at the American Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica, from 1995 to 1998, as Administrative Counselor at the American Embassy in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, from 1998 to 2001, and as Ambassador to Swaziland from 2002 to 2004. The U.S. Senate confirmed Mr. McGee as Ambassador to Madagascar on June 25, 2004.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1949, Mr. McGee is a graduate of Indiana University. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1968 to 1974 and completed Vietnamese-language studies at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. Mr. McGee earned three Distinguished Flying Crosses during his duty in Vietnam.

Harare November 22, 2007