Matthew H. Tueller

Matthew H. Tueller (born 1957)[2] is an American diplomat who currently serves as the United States Ambassador to Iraq.[3] He is a career foreign service officer. He first achieved the rank of ambassador under the presidency of Barack Obama. He has served as the United States Ambassador to Kuwait, Yemen, and Iraq.

Matthew H. Tueller
United States Ambassador to Iraq
Incumbent
Assumed office June 9, 2019
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Joey R. Hood (Chargé d'Affaires)
United States Ambassador to Yemen
In office May 8, 2014 – May 16, 2019
President	Barack Obama Donald Trump
Preceded by	Gerald Feierstein
Succeeded by	Christopher P. Henzel
United States Ambassador to Kuwait
In office September 28, 2011 – April 28, 2014
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Deborah Jones
Succeeded by	Michael Adler
Personal details
Born	Matthew Heywood Tueller[1] 1957 (age 62–63)
Spouse(s)	DeNeece Gurney
Children	5
Alma mater	Brigham Young University, Utah (BA) Harvard University (MPP)

Career

Early career

Matthew H. Tueller, of the state of Utah, is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and his other overseas assignments have included Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy Cairo; Political Minister Counselor at Embassy Baghdad; Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy Kuwait; Political Counselor at Embassy Riyadh; Chief of the U.S. Office in Aden, Yemen; Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy Doha; Political Officer at Embassy London; and Political Officer and Consular Officer at Embassy Amman. His Washington assignments have included Deputy Director in the Office of Northern Gulf Affairs and Egypt Desk Officer.

Ambassador To Kuwait

Matthew H. Tueller arrived in Kuwait on September 23, 2011. He was nominated as the U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait by President Barack Obama on May 4, 2011. His nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 30, 2011, and he was sworn in by Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns on September 8.[4][5]

Ambassador To Yemen

Tueller was the United States Ambassador to Yemen from 2014 to 2019.

He has been involved in negotiations between Yemen's Houthi forces and partners of the Saudi-led coalition during the course of the present civil war. His impartiality has been questioned by both Houthi negotiators and others within the State Department, leading to criticism over the United States' role in the prolonged state of the conflict and the resulting humanitarian crisis.[6]

Ambassador To Iraq

On November 7, 2018, the White House announced the president’s intent to nominate Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller to be the next United States Ambassador to Iraq.[7] On May 16, 2019, the United States Senate confirmed the nomination of Matthew Tueller to be United States Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq.[8][9][10]

Personal life

Tueller is married to DeNeece Gurney and has five children.[11] Tueller holds a B.A. from Brigham Young University and a M.P.P. from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having served a two year mission in Spain. His father, Blaine Carlson Tueller, was a Foreign Service officer and as a result Tueller grew up in Europe, North Africa, and Latin America, including four years in Tangier, Morocco where he learned Arabic.[12]

References

1. "PN1009-1 — Foreign Service". U.S. Congress. December 24, 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
2. "Matthew Haywood Tueller - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2019-08-14.
3. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Individuals to Key Administration Posts". The White House. November 7, 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
4. Federal Regional Yellow Book: Who's who in the Federal Government's Departments, Agencies, Courts, Military Installations, and Service Academies Outside of Washington, DC. Monitor Publishing Company. 2000. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
5. United States Department of State
6. The U.S. Ambassador To Yemen's Hard-line Approach Is Jamming Up Peace Efforts, The Intercept, December 13, 2017
7. Career Diplomat Matthew Tueller to be U.S. Ambassador to Iraq
8. U.S. Senate Confirms Matthew Tueller as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq
9. Senate confirms Matt Tueller as US ambassador to Iraq
10. U.S. Mission Iraq Gets a New Ambassador After Mandatory Evacuation of Non-Emergency Personnel
11. “Ambassador Matthew H. Tueller”, Department of State
12. "U.S. Ambassador to Yemen: Who Is Matthew Tueller?". April 25, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2019.

External links

• "Senior Officials' Biographies: Matthew H. Tueller", State.gov, United States Department of State
• "BYU grad tapped to be ambassador to Kuwait", The Salt Lake Tribune, May 9, 2011
• Matthew H. Tueller congratulates the people of Kuwait
• Appearances on C-SPAN

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Deborah Jones	United States Ambassador to Kuwait 2011–2014	Succeeded by Michael Adler
Preceded by Gerald Feierstein	United States Ambassador to Yemen 2014–2019	Succeeded by Christopher P. Henzel
Preceded by Joey R. Hood (Chargé d'Affaires)	United States Ambassador to Iraq 2019–present	Incumbent