List of ambassadors of the United States to Turkmenistan

Ambassador of the United States to Turkmenistan
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent Matthew Klimow since June 26, 2019
Nominator	The President of the United States
Inaugural holder	Joseph S. Hulings, III as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Formation	August 11, 1992
Website	[1]

The following is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Turkmenistan as well as permanent chargés d'affaires posted from Washington for extended periods of time. This list excludes deputy chiefs of mission designated chargés d'affaires by the incumbent chief of mission during the chief of mission's temporary absence from Turkmenistan or during brief hiatuses between chiefs of mission. Note: The United States recognized Turkmenistan on December 25, 1991, and established diplomatic relations on February 19, 1992. Embassy Ashkhabad (now Ashgabat) was established March 17, 1992, with Jeffrey White as Chargé d'affaires ad interim.

Chiefs of mission

U.S. diplomatic terms
Career FSO After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time. Political appointee A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends). Appointed The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office. Presented credentials The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely. Terminated mission Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy. Chargé d'affaires The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. Ad interim Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".

Name	Title	Appointment	Presentation of credentials	Termination of mission
Jeffrey White - Career FSO	Chargé d'affaires ad interim	March 17, 1992		August 11, 1992^[1]
Joseph S. Hulings, III - Career FSO	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary	August 11, 1992	September 25, 1992	September 5, 1995
Michael W. Cotter - Career FSO	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary	October 3, 1995	November 7, 1995	August 27, 1998
Steven Robert Mann - Career FSO	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary	October 1, 1998	November 10, 1998	May 28, 2001
Laura E. Kennedy - Career FSO	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary	September 21, 2001	October 5, 2001	July 7, 2003
Tracey Ann Jacobson - Career FSO	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary	July 1, 2003	August 25, 2003	July 14, 2006
Jennifer Leigh Brush - Career FSO	Chargé d'affaires ad interim	July 14, 2006		July 2007^[1]
Richard E. Hoagland - Career FSO	Chargé d'affaires ad interim	July 2007		July 2008^[2]
Richard Miles - Career FSO	Chargé d'affaires ad interim	November 2008		September 2, 2009
Sylvia Reed Curran - Career FSO	Chargé d'affaires ad interim	September 2, 2009		July 9, 2010^[1]
Eileen Malloy - Career FSO	Chargé d'affaires ad interim	July 2010		April 26, 2011
Robert E. Patterson, Jr. - Career FSO	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary	April 26, 2011	May 16, 2011	June 1, 2014
Laura E. Kennedy - Career FSO	Chargé d'affaires ad interim	June 4, 2014		September 12, 2014
Allan Phillip Mustard - Career FSO	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary	November 19, 2014	January 19, 2015	June 22, 2019
Matthew S. Klimow^[3] - Retired Military/ Career SES	Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary	May 23, 2019	June 26, 2019	Incumbent
Valerie Chittenden - Career FSO	Chargé d'affaires ad interim	September 1, 2020		December 2020^[4]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c "Chiefs of Mission for Turkmenistan".
^ "Principal Officers and Chiefs of Mission, by Name: H".
^ "Ambassador Matthew S. Klimow". U.S. Embassy in Turkmenistan. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
^ Valerie Chittenden was assigned to Ashgabat as deputy chief of mission, but arrived at post on the same day Ambassador Klimow departed for a temporary assignment in Washington and so was accredited initially as chargé d'affaires ad interim, thus technically qualifies for inclusion in this list.

References

United States Department of State: Background notes on Turkmenistan
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.