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Ambassador Gaddi H. Vasquez is the 8th United States Representative to the United Nations Organizations in Rome. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on June 29, 2006. Mr. Vasquez was sworn into office on September 7, 2006 by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Ambassador Vasquez is actively engaged in raising international awareness of the urgency of addressing world hunger. Since the beginning of his tenure as Ambassador, he has traveled to Egypt, Mali, Zambia, Malawi, Guatemala, Honduras, Mozambique, Bangladesh and Colombia to view how U.S. resources provided to the UN for the benefit of the poor and malnourished are reaching those with the greatest need. He has been accompanied by foreign journalists who have reported on the humanitarian aid being provided by the United States to countries throughout the world. Ambassador Vasquez has been an active proponent of UN reform by leading efforts to generate greater accountability and transparency in the management and performance of UN agencies in Rome.
Mr. Vasquez most recently served as the Director of the United States Peace Corps and became the third-longest serving Director in the Peace Corps’ 47 year history. Under Mr. Vasquez’s leadership, the Peace Corps realized a 30-year high of Volunteers in the field, significantly enhanced the safety and security systems world wide, and oversaw the largest congressional appropriation in the Peace Corps’ history for three consecutive years. During his tenure, the Peace Corps also worked with six countries to participate in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, opened the first Peace Corps program in Mexico, and directed the entry or re-entry into 21 Peace Corps countries.
Ambassador Vasquez's public career includes service at the city, county, state, and federal levels of government. He began his 27-year career in public service as a police officer in Orange, California. Mr. Vasquez served as an appointee of three former California Governors and was appointed by former President George H.W. Bush to federal commissions.
Mr. Vasquez is an active public servant and has received numerous awards for leadership and community service, including: the Outstanding Alumni Award by the American Association of Community Colleges, the Coro Foundation Crystal Eagle Award, and the Marine Corps Scholarship Fund Globe and Anchor Award. He is the recipient of the Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award and the Salvation Army’s William H. Booth Award for Service.
A native of Carrizo Springs, Texas, Mr. Vasquez is the son of migrant farm workers of Mexican descent who instilled in him a strong work ethic and was the first member of his family to earn a college degree. He is a graduate of the University of Redlands and has served as a trustee professor at Chapman University. In addition, he has been the recipient of three honorary doctorate degrees.
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