Susan M. Elliott is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. On June 29, 2012 the Senate confirmed her as the next U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan. She was sworn in by Secretary Clinton on July 25, 2012 and plans to assume her duties in Dushanbe in September 2012.
From September 2010 to July 2012 Ms. Elliott was the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary responsible for Central Asia. Her previous assignments include Moscow, Russia where she served as the Minister Counselor for Political Affairs from 2009 to 2010 and Belfast, Northern Ireland where she was the Principal Officer from 2007 to 2009. Prior to that, she worked in Washington as a Deputy Executive Secretary on the staff of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. During her tenure on Secretary Rice’s staff, Ms. Elliott’s main areas of regional responsibility included Europe, South and Central Asia. She was responsible for coordinating all of Secretary Rice’s travel to Europe and South Asia. Ms. Elliott was the Director of the Executive Secretariat Staff from 2003-2005.
Ms. Elliott served in Athens, Greece as the Visa Section Chief (2001-2003) and the Deputy Economic Counselor (1999-2001). Although a political cone officer, Ms. Elliott participated in and completed the Economic and Commercial Studies Course at FSI (1997-1998). Ms. Elliott also was a member of the Executive Secretariat Staff (1995-97) and worked as a desk officer (1994-95) in the Office of the Coordinator for Regional Conflicts in the New Independent States (S/NIS). While working in S/NIS Susan reported on conflicts in the Caucasus region (Nagorno-Karabakh and Georgia) and Central Asia (Tajikistan). Ms. Elliott served in Moscow, Russia (1992-94) and Lima, Peru (1990-92).
Ms. Elliott speaks Russian, Greek, and Spanish. During her twenty year career as a Foreign Service Officer she has received several individual superior and meritorious honor awards.
Ms. Elliott is married to Matthias Mitman, who is also a Foreign Service officer. They have two adult sons. Prior to joining the Foreign Service she received a doctoral degree from Indiana University and served on the faculties of Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana) and the University of Virginia.
