◉ By Domani Spero

On June 14, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Rufus Gifford as the next Ambassador to Denmark. The WH released the following brief bio:

Rufus Gifford most recently served as Finance Chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee.  He served as Finance Director for Obama for America from 2011 to 2012, and as Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011.  From 2008 to 2009, he was the California Finance Director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, after working as a political consultant in California from 2004 to 2008.  From 1998 to 2004, Mr. Gifford was Creative Executive for Davis Entertainment, an independent film company based in Los Angeles.  He is currently a Federal Club Member of the Human Rights Campaign and a Partner in Conservation for the World Wildlife Fund.

He received a B.A. from Brown University.

Here is WaPo:

Gifford, an indefatigable — some beleaguered donors have said maybe too indefatigable — fundraiser, was the key person behind the campaign’s $1 billion war chest.

The longtime Democratic fundraiser and activist in the gay community would be the second openly gay ambassador named to a NATO ally. The first, James Hormel, served in the latter part of President Bill Clinton’s second term as ambassador to Luxembourg.

Gifford’s ex-partner Jeremy Bernard — also a formidable fundraiser and major Democratic pol — is the first man and the first openly gay person to be White House social secretary. Gifford and Bernard, who remain good friends, had been called one of Washington’s top “power couples.”

If confirmed, Mr. Gifford would succeed Washington lawyer Laurie Susan Fulton who was appointed into office in May 2009 and departed post in February 2013.  Senior Foreign Service Officer Stephen Alan Cristina is currently Charge d’Affaires a.i.  Of the last 19 ambassadors appointed as chief of mission to Denmark since 1960, 17 or 89.5% had been political appointees.

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Related items:

• June 14, 2013| President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts
• US Embassy Denmark: A Flat Stanley-Mission, Well Sort Of, But Not Really – Oh, Confusion!
• State/OIG on US Embassy Denmark: “Ambassador has, in effect, become a first-line supervisor”.
• 2011 – Inspection of Embassy Copenhagen, Denmark (ISP-I-11-19A)
• 2012 – Compliance Follow-up Review of Embassy Copenhagen, Denmark (ISP-C-12-20)

 

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