Gene A. Cretz is a career diplomat, who was nominated in July 2007 by President 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....

 to be the first U.S. Ambassador to Libya

United States Ambassador to Libya

The United States Ambassador to Libya is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Libya.Until its independence in 1951, Libya had been a colony of Italy and then under British and French occupation until 1951...

 since 1972. His nomination was confirmed by the US Senate on November 21, 2008. He was sworn-in as U.S. Ambassador to Libya by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on December 17, 2008, at the State Department. He arrived in Libya on December 27, 2008. Cretz speaks a number of languages, including Arabic, Dari, Urdu, and Chinese.

Diplomatic postings

Gene Cretz previously served in key diplomatic posts in Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

 and Syria

Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

. In addition to these postings, he has also been stationed in Pakistan, India, China, and in Washington D.C. Prior to assuming his post in Libya, he was a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.

Education

Cretz was born in Albany, New York

Albany, New York

Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

 and attended Albany High School, where he taught from 1977 to 1979. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester

University of Rochester

The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...

 and a master's degree from State University of New York

State University of New York

The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...

 at Buffalo

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

. He has a bachelor's degree in English Literature and a master's degree in Linguistics and Secondary Education.

See also

• Foreign relations of Libya
  Foreign relations of Libya
  The foreign relations of Libya under Gaddafi  underwent much fluctuation and change. They were marked by severe tension with the West and by Gaddafi's activist policies in the Middle East and Africa, including his financial and military support for...