Consulate General of the United States Krakow Poland

Ellen Germain, U.S. Consul General in Krakow (photo State Dept)

Ellen Germain arrived in Krakow on August 22, 2012 to assume her duties as Consul General.  From 2008-2011 she was deputy political counselor at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, where she was responsible for issues relating to the Middle East, Asia, and non-proliferation.  From 2007-2008 she served as deputy political counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

In Washington, Ms. Germain was the senior political officer in the State Department’s Office of Israel-Palestinian Affairs from 2003-2005.  She served as deputy director and acting director of the Office of Maghreb Affairs from 2005-2006, and as deputy director of the Office of Russian Affairs from 2006-2007.  Her earlier overseas tours were Tel Aviv, London, and Moscow.  She joined the Foreign Service in 1995. 

Ms. Germain was born and grew up in New York City.  She graduated from Hunter College High School and holds a B.A. in English from Stanford University, an M.A. in English from Columbia University, and an MPhil in computer science from Cambridge University.  Before joining the Foreign Service, Ms. Germain worked as a computer programmer and then as a science journalist.