Jeff Hovenier

Hovenier was raised in Bellingham, Washington. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from Brigham Young University and a Master of Arts in government and international relations from Georgetown University.[2]

A member of the Senior Foreign Service, Hovenier has been assigned to embassies in Peru, Croatia, Greece, Panama, Germany, and Paraguay, in addition to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Hovenier also served as the director for Central and Southeastern European affairs for the United States National Security Council.[3] Hovenier also served in the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey as its charge d’affaires from August 2018 to July 2019,[2][4] and Deputy chief of mission from August 2018 to July 2021, when Scott M. Oudkirk assumed his post as DCM.[2][5] Hovenier was nominated to serve as United States ambassador to Kosovo on July 2, 2021.[6][7] On July 13, 2021, his nomination was sent to the Senate.[8] On October 5, 2021, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.[9] On October 19, 2021, his nomination was reported favorably out of committee.[10] His nomination is pending before the full United States Senate.