Almaguer
Frank
Ambassador Frank Almaguer, retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer, achieved the personal rank of Career Minister in the U.S. Foreign Service and culminated his Foreign Service career as American Ambassador to Honduras (1999-2002). Among his earlier postings are service as USAID Mission Director in Bolivia (1996-99), Eastern Europe (1991-93) and Ecuador (1986-90). He also served as USAID’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for Management and Director of Personnel (1993-96).
His Foreign Service career also included service as Director of the USAID Office of South American and Mexican Affairs (1983-86), Deputy Mission Director for USAID in Panama (1979-83), Country Director for the U.S. Peace Corps/Honduras (1976-79), Associate Country Director for Peace Corps/Belize (1974-76) and service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Orange Walk, Belize (1967-69).
After retiring from the Foreign Service, Ambassador Almaguer served the Organization of American States (OAS) as Secretary for Administration and Finance (third ranking and senior American executive position at the OAS) from February 2005 until December 2010. In that role, he directed the management operations and finances of the oldest and largest multilateral organization in the Americas. Since 2010, Almaguer has continued to collaborate with the OAS as Chief of OAS Electoral Observation Missions in several Caribbean and Central American nations.
He also has continued to provide service to the U.S. foreign affairs agencies in a variety of ways: In 2004, Almaguer served as member of the U.S. delegation to the UN Human Rights Commission’s annual general assembly in Geneva. From 2012 to 2016, Almaguer was the American representative on the Standing Advisory Committee on Technical Cooperation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA/SAGTAC). In 2016, Secretary of State Kerry appointed Ambassador Almaguer to serve as a member of the U.S. Foreign Service Grievance Board (FSGB). He subsequently was re-appointed to that position by Secretaries Pompeo and Blinken until 2023.
From 2012 to 2023, Almaguer served on the Board of Trustees of the Pan American Agricultural University (“Zamorano”), a leading academic institution based in Honduras with students from all of Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2024, the Zamorano University Board honored him with a lifetime appointment as Trustee Emeritus. In addition, he now serves as a founding Trustee of the newly created Zamorano University Foundation.
In addition, Ambassador Almaguer served for four years (2012-16) on the Board of the USAID Alumni Association. In 2024, Ambassador Almaguer founded and now leads the Latin America Discussion Group at DACOR (an association of foreign policy professionals, of which he is a long-time member). Almaguer is a member of the National Peace Corps Association and the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA). He was elected as member of the American Academy of Diplomacy in 2017 and has served on its Board of Directors since 2022, where he now chairs the Membership Committee.
Throughout his career, Ambassador Almaguer has received significant recognition of outstanding service, including Presidential Meritorious Awards in 1988 and 1999, a State Department Superior Honor Award in 1999, a USAID Special Act Award in 1992, the USAID Distinguished Service Award in 1989 and a Meritorious Award in 1979 from the Peace Corps. In 1996, the American University honored his management accomplishments by awarding him the Roger W. Jones Award for Executive Leadership in the Public Sector. In 2002, Ambassador Almaguer received USAID’s highest honor: the Distinguished Career Service Award. The Governments of Ecuador, Bolivia and Honduras also have decorated him for his service in those countries. His nomination to serve on the Foreign Service Grievance Board and election to the American Academy of Diplomacy are both significant honors reflecting high-level confidence in Almaguer’s integrity, knowledge and commitment to service on behalf of the American foreign policy community.
Ambassador Almaguer was born in Cuba and grew up in Florida. He has native fluency in Spanish. Almaguer obtained his BA in Political Science from the University of Florida and also graduated from the George Washington University with an MS in Government Administration. He and his wife, Antoinette, have two grown children and four grandchildren. They reside in Vienna, VA.
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