Paul W. Jones

Paul W. Jones has served as Deputy to the Special Representative and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan and Pakistan since February 2009. He is a career member of the State Department's Senior Foreign Service.

Paul has served in a variety of challenging assignments in Asia, Europe and Latin America. As Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d'Affaires in the Philippines, Paul coordinated 30 USG agencies, implementing counter-terrorism, poverty reduction and business development programs. He led an interagency team to support peace talks with Muslim insurgents, and negotiated personally with insurgent leaders in jungle camps.

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. He also served in Colombia and Russia. In Washington, Paul twice served 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.

Paul's awards include the Presidential Meritorious Service Award, the Robert C. Frasure Memorial Award for building peace, Senior Performance Pay, and Superior Honor Awards. He speaks Spanish and Russian.

Paul graduated from Cornell University and received master's degrees from the University of Virginia and the Naval War College. He is married to Catherine Jones, author of food and health books. They have two young children, Allie and Hale.