About the Deputy Chief of Mission
William “Bill” Weinstein, Deputy Chief of Mission
William “Bill” Weinstein, Deputy Chief of Mission
William “Bill” Weinstein, is a member of the Senior Foreign Service, and is currently the Deputy Chief of Mission for U.S. Embassy Sri Lanka and Maldives.
He serves as the Mission’s Chief Operating Officer and, in the absence of the Ambassador, as the Chargé d’Affaires. His assignment to Sri Lanka and the Maldives began in July 2012 and will be for three years. Bill brings a wealth of State Department experience in a 26-year career and has extensive experience in political affairs, economic development, trade promotion, as well as senior mission leadership.
Prior to his arrival in Colombo, Bill served as the Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. The Economic Affairs section is one of the largest in terms of responsibility and personnel within the State Department. In addition, from January to September 2008, prior to the arrival of Ambassador Huntsman, he served as Acting DCM at Embassy Beijing. Bill also served as the Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv from 2004 to 2008. There he managed the economic responsibilities of the Middle East Peace Process and negotiated the implementation of the Secretary’s Agreement on Movement and Access with the Israeli Defense Forces. Bill served as the Counselor for Economic Affairs in Taiwan from 2000-2004, and led the Mission’s response to the SARS epidemic. From 1991 to 1993 he served on the staff of the Secretary of State, first in State Operations Center and afterwards in the Office of Policy Planning.
Mr. Weinstein has a B.A. degree from Brooklyn College, a law degree from the University of San Diego and is a member of the California Bar. He is the recipient of several Department Superior Honor Awards and speaks Mandarin Chinese and Thai. He is joined in Sri Lanka by his wife, Miriam, and together they have five children.