Mitchell Reiss ‘79 is the highest ranking Eph in the US diplomatic corps. He has just been promoted to ambassador rank.

The President intends to designate Mitchell B. Reiss, of Virginia, as Special Envoy for Northern Ireland, and nominate him for the Rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Special Envoy. Dr. Reiss currently serves as Director of Policy Planning for the State Department. Previously, he served in several capacities at the College of William and Mary. In addition, Dr. Reiss served as the chief negotiator and General Counsel to the Korean Pennisula Energy Development Organization. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Williams College, his J.D. from Columbia Law School, and his D.Phil. from Oxford University.

Note that Reiss’s previous job as Director of Policy Planning is one of the most important in the State Department. Alas, not everyone is a fan of Reiss’s work, but a sample is available here, so you can judge for yourself.

Reiss is clearly someone that the Political Economy folks should reach out to for their spring break fun. With luck, his new job won’t interfere with his 25th reunion this June.