Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr.

Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr. ( b. 1951 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American diplomat.

After graduating with honors from Dartmouth College in 1973, he received a scholarship from the Fulbright Program, to teach in Italy. He was commissioned in 1976 as a teacher in Iran and traveled through Southwest Asia, Europe and the Middle East and in 1978 joined the Foreign Service.

Since 2011 he has been the United States ambassador in Ankara. Previously served Ricciardone as ambassador to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The U.S. State Department on leave him for a research stay at the United States Institute of Peace ( USIP ). From 2005-2008 Ricciardone was U.S. ambassador to Cairo, and before that in Manila and Palau (2002-2005).

Private

Ricciardone is married and has two daughters.