William A. Eaton
Encyclopedia
William Alan "Bill" Eaton is a United States
diplomat
.
ca. 1956. He was educated at the University of Virginia
, receiving a B.A.
in international relations
in 1978. After college, he joined the United States Army
, serving mainly in South Korea
.
Eaton then joined the United States Foreign Service
beginning a career as a Foreign Service Officer
. In the course of his career, he was posted at Georgetown
, Moscow
, Istanbul
, Milan
and Ankara
. Eaton is fluid in Spanish
, Turkish
, Russian
, Dutch
and Italian
. As a political officer in Georgetown, Guyana
, Eaton represented the United States in negotiations. He also led successful negotiations between the United States
, Russia
, Ukraine
, the European Union
, Canada
and Sweden
to establish centers for former weapons scientists. During his stints in Washington, D.C.
, Eaton worked in the Office of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of State for Administration
, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security
, the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Management, and the Office of the United States Deputy Secretary of State
.
Eaton took a three year break in his diplomatic career 1989-92, serving as Executive Director of the Young Presidents' Organization
.
In 2001, President of the United States
George W. Bush
nominated Eaton as Assistant Secretary of State for Administration
; Eaton held this office from July 13, 2001 until May 25, 2005. Bush then named Eaton United States Ambassador to Panama
, with Ambassador Eaton filling this post from September 9, 2005 until August 2008. In 2008, he became Dean of the School of Language Studies at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center
.
In 2010 Eaton was selected by the Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
to be the new Assistant Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for Executive Management.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
.
Biography
William A. Eaton was born in Winchester, VirginiaWinchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
ca. 1956. He was educated at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, receiving a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
in 1978. After college, he joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, serving mainly in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
Eaton then joined the United States Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
beginning a career as a Foreign Service Officer
Foreign Service Officer
A Foreign Service Officer is a commissioned member of the United States Foreign Service. As diplomats, Foreign Service Officers formulate and implement the foreign policy of the United States. FSOs spend most of their careers overseas as members of U.S. embassies, consulates, and other diplomatic...
. In the course of his career, he was posted at Georgetown
Georgetown, Guyana
Georgetown, estimated population 239,227 , is the capital and largest city of Guyana, located in the Demerara-Mahaica region. It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and it was nicknamed 'Garden City of the Caribbean.' Georgetown is located at . The city serves...
, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
. Eaton is fluid in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. As a political officer in Georgetown, Guyana
Georgetown, Guyana
Georgetown, estimated population 239,227 , is the capital and largest city of Guyana, located in the Demerara-Mahaica region. It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and it was nicknamed 'Garden City of the Caribbean.' Georgetown is located at . The city serves...
, Eaton represented the United States in negotiations. He also led successful negotiations between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
to establish centers for former weapons scientists. During his stints in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Eaton worked in the Office of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of State for Administration
Assistant Secretary of State for Administration
The Assistant Secretary of State for Administration is the head of the Bureau of Administration in the United States Department of State. The Assistant Secretary of State for Administration reports to the Under Secretary of State for Management....
, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security
Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security
The Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security is the head of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security in the United States Department of State...
, the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Management, and the Office of the United States Deputy Secretary of State
United States Deputy Secretary of State
The Deputy Secretary of State of the United States is the chief assistant to the Secretary of State. If the Secretary of State resigns or dies, the Deputy Secretary of State becomes Acting Secretary of State until the President nominates and the Senate confirms a replacement. The position was...
.
Eaton took a three year break in his diplomatic career 1989-92, serving as Executive Director of the Young Presidents' Organization
Young Presidents' Organization
The Young Presidents’ Organization is a global network of young chief executives. With approximately 18,000 members in more than 100 countries, YPO and its graduate organization, WPO share a founding mission: Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange....
.
In 2001, President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
nominated Eaton as Assistant Secretary of State for Administration
Assistant Secretary of State for Administration
The Assistant Secretary of State for Administration is the head of the Bureau of Administration in the United States Department of State. The Assistant Secretary of State for Administration reports to the Under Secretary of State for Management....
; Eaton held this office from July 13, 2001 until May 25, 2005. Bush then named Eaton United States Ambassador to Panama
United States Ambassador to Panama
The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Panama since its independence from Colombia in 1903. The rank of the US chief of mission to Panama was originally Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, but it was upgraded to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in...
, with Ambassador Eaton filling this post from September 9, 2005 until August 2008. In 2008, he became Dean of the School of Language Studies at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center
National Foreign Affairs Training Center
The George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center is one of several locations that house the Foreign Service Institute , the United States government's training school for members of the U.S. foreign affairs community. It is located at Arlington Hall in Arlington, Virginia.-External...
.
In 2010 Eaton was selected by the Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a Danish politician, and the 12th and current Secretary General of NATO. Rasmussen served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 27 November 2001 to 5 April 2009....
to be the new Assistant Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for Executive Management.