Arnold Chacón
Center for Global Initiatives
Diplomat-in-Residence
Chapel Hill, NC
Arnold A. Chacón (born 1956) is an American government official. He was most recently the Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources at the Department of State. He was previously the United States Ambassador to Guatemala August 29, 2011, to March 5, 2014. A career U.S. Foreign Service Officer, he has served in a number of leadership positions in Latin American and Europe, including Deputy Chief of Mission in Madrid. He has led initiatives to promote free and fair elections, advance respect for human rights, and support rule of law. Ambassador Chacón has also directed crisis management operations, worked with international partners to combat human trafficking, and advanced regional free trade agreements.
Ambassador Chacón has served as the State Department Deputy Executive Director in Washington, D.C. and at the United States Mission to the United Nations. He was a Fellow at the American Political Science Association and is the recipient of the State Department’s Presidential Rank Award and other leadership honors. He speaks Spanish and Italian.
Ambassador Chacón grew up in Denver and received a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder. His wife of 30 years, Alida Chacón, is also a member of the U.S. Foreign Service. They have three children.