Consul General Laura Lochman

Consul General of the United States of America for Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories

Laura Lochman arrived in Calgary June 22 to take up her post as Consul General for Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories for a three-year term. Consul General Laura Lochman is a career American diplomat with over 20 years of experience in policy analysis and implementation. She has served in various overseas assignments with the Department of State, including as Deputy Economic Counselor and Chief of the Trade and Investment Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and Deputy Economic Counselor and Environment, Science and Technology Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid. Earlier, she served in Caracas, Venezuela and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In Washington, Laura served in the State Department’s Office of Cuban Affairs, the Bureau of South Asian Affairs, and in the Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science. Laura was detailed for one year from the State Department to a non-governmental organization, the Nature Conservancy, as a policy advisor. She most recently spent two years as the State Department’s Deputy Director of the Office of Central European Affairs. The office coordinates U.S. Government relations with Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland.

Laura has served as the Consul General of the United States in Calgary since June 2009, covering Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories of Canada. She graduated with a B.A. in International Studies and French from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She also studied at the Université de Montpellier, France. Laura, her husband Joseph Schaefer, and their son Nicholas enjoy skiing, hiking, and the outdoors. Laura holds a black belt in karate, and her foreign languages include French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian.

Ms. Lochman replaces Tom Huffaker, who retired from the U.S. Department of State in March, 2009.