Nomination of Edward Joseph Perkins To Be Director General of the Foreign Service

The President today announced his intention to nominate Edward Joseph Perkins, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Director General of the Foreign Service at the Department of State. He would succeed George Southall Vest.

Since 1986 Ambassador Perkins has served as Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa. Prior to this he served as Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia, 1985 - 1986. He was Director of the Office of West African Affairs in the Bureau of African Affairs at the Department of State, 1983 - 1985; deputy chief of mission for the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia, 1981 - 1983; counselor for political affairs in Accra, Ghana, 1978 - 1981; and management analysis officer for the Office of Management Operations at the Department of State, 1975 - 1978. He was administrative officer for the Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, 1974 - 1975; personnel officer in the Office of the Director General, 1972 - 1974; and deputy assistant director for management of the U.S. Operations Mission in Thailand, 1970 - 1972.

Ambassador Perkins served in the U.S. Army for 3 years and the U.S. Marine Corps for 4 years. He graduated from the University of Maryland (B.A., 1967) and the University of Southern California (M.P.A., 1972; D.P.A., 1978). He is married and has two children.