John F. Maisto was nominated by President George W. Bush to be U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States on March 25, 2003, and was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 23, 2003. He was sworn in on July 31, 2003. He served in this position until 2007. In addition, he was named U.S. Coordinator for the Special Summit of the Americas on July 18, 2003. Ambassador Maisto served as Special Assistant to President Bush and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs for National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice from January 2001 to April 2003. Ambassador Maisto was Ambassador to Venezuela from 1997-2000, and served as Foreign Policy Advisor at the U.S. Southern Command in 2000-01. He previously served as Ambassador to Nicaragua from 1993-96. He was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central American Affairs, 1992-93; and Deputy U.S. Representative to the Organization of American States, 1989-92. Earlier, he served in Panama as Deputy Chief of Mission, as Director of the State Department's Office of Philippine Affairs, and at American Embassies in Manila, San Jose, and La Paz. He was in the U.S. Information Agency in Argentina and Bolivia. He began his career as a Foreign Service Officer in 1968. Full bio. 

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Fields of expertise

WESTERN HEMISPHERE     VENEZUELA