New U.S. Ambassador to Estonia James Melville meets with JBANC and Estonian-American representatives

New U.S. Ambassador to Estonia James Melville meets with 

JBANC and Estonian-American representatives

Sep 21, 2015

By Karl Altau

The new United States ambassador to Estonia, James Melville, met with representatives of JBANC, the Estonian American National Council (EANC), and the Maryland Estonia Exchange Council (MEEC) on September 10 at a State Department meeting arranged by JBANC. Under discussion were Estonian - American connections and the role of the organizations present at the meeting, concerns of Estonian Americans, and the new ambassador's plans during his appointment. Ambassador Melville will move to Estonia later this autumn.

Ambassador Melville was nominated by President Obama on May 06, with a Senate nomination hearing following on July 22. His nomination was confirmed by the Senate on August 05.

Originally from New Jersey, Ambassador Melville most recently served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. embassy in Berlin, from 2012 to 2015. Prior to that, he was Executive Director of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and the Bureau of International Organization Affairs at the Department of State from 2010 to 2012. He has also served at U.S. embassies in London (2008 – 2010), Moscow (2005 - 2008), Paris (2001 - 2005), and at the U.S. NATO Mission in Brussels (1997 - 2001). Ambassador Melville received a B.A. from Boston University and J.D. from Rutgers University.

Pictured from left are Erik Lazdins, JBANC; Toivo Tagamets, MEEC; Ambassador James Melville; Marju Rink-Abel, EANC; and Karl Altau, JBANC.

(Photo courtesy of Toivo Tagamets).

Source: http://jbanc.org/?page=blog&v=4&id=43