US appoints a former NGO activist as its new Consul in Erbil
Shafaq News/ The United States appointed veteran diplomat Irvin Hicks Jr to the duties of its consul general in Kurdistan's capital city, Erbil, in lieu of outgoing Robert Palladino.
An official statement by the US Consulate in Erbil said that Hicks will join the mission in August 2022.
Hicks served as Senior Advisor to the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Lead Negotiator with the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Office of Security Negotiations and Agreements, and Foreign Policy Advisor for the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa based in Djibouti.
"A second-generation career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Mr. Hicks also served as Deputy Chief of Mission for US Embassy Nouakchott, Mauritania," the statement said, "his Washington, D.C. assignments include the Office of Management Policy, Right-sizing and Innovation, and Management Counselor rover where he supported US missions in West Africa engaged in the fight against the Ebola pandemic."
Prior to joining the State Department, Hicks worked for several non-government agencies that included the African American Institute, Entrepreneurs International, and the US-South African Leadership Exchange Program. He was also a corporate executive for General Motors' Africa and Middle East Operations.
"Additional assignments with the State Department include Guinea, Nigeria, Brazil, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Mauritius, and Burundi."
Hicks received his undergraduate degree from George Washington University where he majored in International Affairs and African studies. He received a Master of Arts degree in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a Master of Arts degree in National Security Studies from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
"Proficient in French, Hicks has also studied Portuguese, German, Arabic, Chinese and Amharic. Hicks is the first recipient of the Department's 2021 Edward J. Perkins award for Senior Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion. He is also the recipient of two Meritorious Service Increases, two Superior Honor Awards, the Department's ICASS Outstanding Leadership Award, and several Meritorious Honor Awards. Hicks is also the recipient of Department of Defense awards that include the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award and the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award."
