William J. Hudson was confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia on December 9, 2003 and was sworn in on December 23, 2003. He served in Tunisia until the summer of 2006. Mr. Hudson served as a career member of the Senior Foreign Service for 35 years. Prior to becoming Ambassador, Mr. Hudson served as the Executive Director of the Bureaus of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA) and South Asian Affairs (SA). Among other responsibilities in this office, he oversaw the opening of the Embassy in Kabul Afghanistan.
Prior to his most recent Executive Director assignment, Mr. Hudson served as Minister-Counselor in Paris from 1996 to 2000, and as Executive Director for the Bureau of African Affairs from 1993 to 1996. His previous assignments overseas include service in Belgrade, Tehran, and Lubumbashi and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Lome, Togo.
Mr. Hudson speaks French and Farsi. He received a Presidential Meritorious Service Award in 1993. Before joining the Foreign Service in 1972, Mr. Hudson earned a B.A. in history and an M.A. in International Relations from the University of California at Los Angeles.
