Nomination of Thomas Edmund McNamara To Be United States Ambassador to Colombia

The President today announced his intention to nominate Thomas Edmund McNamara, of Connecticut, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, as Ambassador to the Republic of Colombia. He would succeed Charles A. Gillespie, Jr.

Mr. McNamara joined the Department of State in 1965. He has served overseas in Paris, Lubumbashi, Bukavu, Moscow, and most recently as deputy chief of mission in Kinshasa, Zaire, 1980-1983. In Washington, he has worked in the Bureau of European Affairs, the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs. Until September 1986, he served for 3 years as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Politico-Military Affairs. Since January 1987 he has been the Director of Counterterrorism and Narcotics on the staff of the National Security Council.

Mr. McNamara graduated from Manhattan College (B.A., 1962) and the University of Notre Dame (M.A., 1964). He was born September 16, 1940, in New Haven, CT. He is married, has two children, and currently resides in Washington, DC.