Joel Reifman assumed charge as the U.S. Consul-General in Hyderabad on Tuesday succeeding Katherine B. Hadda. Prior to his present assignment, Mr. Reifman served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh. His assignments at the State Department in Washington D.C. include Senior Liaison in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and Deputy Director of the Office of Aviation Negotiations in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, a statement from the U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad said.
“It feels wonderful to be in Hyderabad as the U.S. Consul-General. I’m already experiencing the warmth and hospitality for which this region of India is so famous for,” he said.
“The U.S.-India partnership is strong, especially in this region, and we are proud to collaborate with the people of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on a range of issues that are important to both our countries, from U.S.-India industry and defence ties, to entrepreneurship, to women’s empowerment,” he said.
Mr. Reifman’s other overseas assignments include Senior Deputy Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea, Provincial Reconstruction Team Leader in Iraq’s western Anbar province, and Economic Counsellor at both the U.S. Embassy in Panama and the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.
Before joining the State Department, the Consul-General served as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate in the U.S. Air Force. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University, the statement added.
