Tom Huffaker assumed his duties as United States Consul General for Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories in August 2006. In this new role, Tom is particularly focused on building upon our extraordinary energy, agricultural and overall trade relationships, people-to-people contacts and seeing that changes being made at the border enhance our security without burdening those vital commercial and human ties.

For the past three years, Tom served as Deputy Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the United States Embassy in Moscow. While there, his focus was on U.S.-Russian energy ties, Russian accession to the World Trade Organization, and management and reorganization of one of the State Department's largest economic sections.

Tom spent four years as Energy and Environment Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa (1999-2003), which followed two years in Washington (1997-1999) as Chief Economist in the State Department's Office of Russian Affairs. He previously served in Moscow (1994-1996) in the Economic Section. Tom was a Corporate Fellow in California with Sun Microsystems from 1996-1997. Earlier assignments included the Political Military Affairs Bureau of the State Department in Washington, DC (1990-1992), Mumbai, India (1988-1990) and Belgrade, Yugoslavia (1986-1988). Tom practiced law in California from 1982-1985.

Tom is a graduate of the University of California, Davis and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He is married to Claire Fried Huffaker, a former U.S. diplomat. They have a son in middle school and a daughter in high school. Avid skiers and lovers of the outdoors, the entire family embraces the life Western Canada has to offer.

November 2006