The Ambassador

James M. Derham

Ambassador    James M. Derham

Mr. Derham was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala on July 14, 2005. He arrived at post on August 30, 2005.

His previous assignment was as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) from April 2002-July 2005. He had responsibility for Brazil and the Southern Cone, Haiti, and regional economic issues.

Previously, Mr. Derham was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. Prior to that assignment, he was Charge d’Affaires, a.i., and Deputy Chief of Mission in Brasilia, Brazil. Mr. Derham’s other overseas assignments in the Foreign Service have been to Argentina, Brazil (tours as Consul General in Rio de Janeiro and Principal Officer in Salvador da Bahia), and Italy.

In Washington, D.C., he has worked in the Department of State in the Economic Bureau and in the Office of Japanese Affairs. Mr. Derham also spent a year on Capitol Hill as a legislative fellow.

Mr. Derham is a graduate of Fordham University in New York. He has Masters degrees in economics from George Washington University and in public administration from Harvard University. He served in the U.S. Army overseas in Germany. His languages are Portuguese, Spanish and Italian.