ISS Alum Gitenstein Named Ambassador to Romania

Mark Gitenstein '64 has been named U.S. Ambassador to Romania.

He began work at the American Embassy in Bucharest last week and was sworn in by U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden in a ceremony held recently in Washington, D.C.

As Ambassador, Gitenstein will lead Embassy efforts to promote strong bilateral ties between the United States and Romania, strengthen regional stability, increase cooperation on counterterrorism, enhance U.S. economic prosperity, and fight international crime and drugs. The Embassy also performs a wide range of consular and security services to support American citizens and enterprises.

Gitenstein is a native of Florala, Ala., whose great-grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from Romania more than a century ago.

A part of then-President Elect Barack Obama’s transition team, Gitenstein was previously a partner at global law firm Mayer Brown. Prior to his work at Mayer Brown, he served under then-Sen. Biden as Chief Counsel and Minority Chief Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also served as Counsel to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

 “Mark Gitenstein follows in a long line of Indian Springs graduates who are making their mark on the world, quite literally,” says ISS Director Gareth Vaughan. “We wish him and his wife, Libby, well in this appointment, and trust that the lessons learned during his time at ISS will serve him well in this new endeavor.”