Ambassador Richard G. Olson, U.S. Department of State (Ret.)

Last Name: Olson

First Name: Richard

Middle Name: G.

Rank: Ambassador

Service/Department: U.S. Foreign Service/State Department

ACNSL Offices and Committees:

Medals and Honors:

• Distinguished Service Award (2)

• Public Outreach Award (3)

• Exceptional Civilian Service Award

• Medal of Wazir Akbar Khan

Last or Significant Assignment: U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (SRAP).

Ambassador Richard Olson retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in November 2016 after 34 years in the State Department.

His final assignment was as U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (SRAP). From 2012 to 2015 he was the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan.

Olson served as the Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs at U.S. Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan, from 2011 to 2012. He was U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 2008 to 2011.

Olson joined the U.S. Department of State in 1982. He served in Mexico, Uganda, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates (both Abu Dhabi and Dubai), and Najaf, Iraq. He was also Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). His Washington assignments included: State Department Operations Center (twice), NATO Desk, the Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs (twice, including as Director), and the Office of Iraqi Affairs, including as Director.

Olson is a recipient of the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award, a Presidential Distinguished Service Award, the Secretary of State’s Award for Public Outreach, the State Department’s Superior Honor Award (three times), the Secretary of Defense’s Exceptional Civilian Service Award (for his service in Iraq) and the medal of Wazir Akbar Khan (Afghanistan).

He graduated from Brown University in 1981, receiving an A.B. in Law and Society (Honors) and History.

He is the father of two daughters and enjoys cycling and hiking