Web-site: http://moscow.usembassy.gov/

John Beyrle was born on Feb. 11, 1954, in Muskegon, Michigan.

Beyrle's late father, Joseph, is believed to be the only soldier to have served in both the U.S. and Soviet armies during World War II. Joseph Beyrle served in the U.S. airborne and spent months in prisoner-of-war camps after being captured by the Germans. He ultimately escaped and joined a Soviet tank brigade.

Education: B.A., Grand Valley State University. M.S., National War College.

A career officer in the Senior Foreign Service at the rank of Minister-Counselor, Ambassador Beyrle has held policy positions and foreign assignments with an emphasis on U.S. relations with Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and the USSR since joining the State Department in 1983.

Ambassador Beyrle’s overseas service has included two previous tours at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, including as Deputy Chief of Mission. Most recently he served as Ambassador to Bulgaria 2005-2008. Other overseas assignments include Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in the Czech Republic, and member of the U.S. Delegation to the CFE Negotiations in Vienna. Washington assignments include Acting Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for the New Independent States, and Director for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council. He served as a staff officer to Secretaries of State George Shultz and James Baker, and as a Pearson Fellow and foreign policy adviser to the late Senator Paul Simon.

Ambassador Beyrle is the recipient of the Presidential Meritorious Service Award, and the Baker-Wilkins Award as the State Department’s Outstanding Deputy Chief of Mission. He has been awarded the State Department’s Superior Honor Award for outstanding performance four times. In 2008 he was awarded a doctoral degree honoris causa by the American University in Bulgaria, and was presented the order of Stara Planina, Bulgaria’s highest state award.

Ambassador Beyrle speaks Bulgarian, Czech, French, German and Russian.

He is married to Jocelyn Greene, a fellow Foreign Service Officer; they have two daughters, Alison and Caroline.

May 2011: U.S. media report that Beyrle will be replaced by Michael McFaul, U.S. President Barack Obama's top advisor on Russia (story).

(Source: U.S. State Department, MT)