About Paul W. Jones

Ambassador Paul W. Jones

Paul W. Jones was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on September 8, 2010, after nomination by President Obama on July 12, 2010 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 5, 2010.  He is a career member of the State Department’s Senior Foreign Service.

Ambassador Jones has served in a variety of challenging assignments in Asia, Europe and Latin America.  Most recently, he was Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan and concurrently Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. From September 2005 to February 2009, Ambassador Jones served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d’Affaires in the Philippines, coordinating 30 U.S. government agencies to implement counter-terrorism, poverty reduction and business development programs. 

Prior assignments include Deputy Chief of the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Deputy Chief of Mission in Macedonia, during the refugee crisis resulting from the conflict in Kosovo.  Ambassador Jones also served in Colombia, Russia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.  In Washington, he served twice on the staff of the Secretary of State, as Director of the Secretariat Staff and in the 24-hour Operations Center.  He was also the Director of the European Bureau’s Balkans office.

Ambassador Jones’ awards include the Presidential Meritorious Service Award, the Robert C. Frasure Memorial Award for peace building and Superior Honor Awards.  He speaks Spanish and Russian.

Ambassador Jones graduated from Cornell University and received master’s degrees from the University of Virginia and the Naval War College.  He is also a graduate of the State Department’s Senior Seminar.  He is married to Catherine Jones, author of food and health books.  They have two children, Aleksandra and Hale.