MOZENA, Dan

MOZENA, Dan. (Dubuque, IA, May 1, 1949---) Ambassador Mozena was born and raised on a family dairy farm in northeast Iowa and spent this first several decades of his life doing the daily chores that are part of life on a family farm. His academic life began in a one-room country school, which had a total of 12 students spread over eight grades. (1)

He graduated in 1970 from Iowa State University (Political Science and History). For the following six months, he participated in the International Farm Youth Exchange (IFYE) program to Nepal under the support of the National 4-H Council. (2) As he stated, I'm primarily going to Nepal on a cultural-not agricultural-exchange to learn of the customs and people of Nepal and to help promote understanding between the two countries. (3)

From 1971 to 1974, Mozena attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison earning a Master of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration degree. From 1974 to 1976, he was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zaire helping the farmers find better ways of growing chickens. (4) Before joining the Foreign Service, he worked as a Program Specialist from 1977 to 1981 for the National 4-H Council in Chevy Chase, Maryland. (5)

Ambassador Mozena joined the U.S. Foreign Service as a Political Officer in 1981. (6)

   1982 - 1983: Consular Officer, U.S. Embassy, Lusaka, Zambia

   1983 - 1985: Economic Officer and Political Officer, U.S. Embassy, Kinshasa, Zaire

   1985 - 1988: Public Diplomacy Officer, Office of Strategic Nuclear Policy, 
                Political-Military Bureau, Dept. of State

   1988 - 1989: Hindi language study, Foreign Service Institute

   1989 - 1992: Deputy Counselor for Political Affairs, U.S. Embassy, New Delhi, India

   1992 - 1993: Officer-in-Charge, South African Affairs, Dept. of State
                Assisted with then-President Nelson Mandela’s historic state visit 
                to Washington.

   1993 - 1995: Deputy Director, Office of Southern African Affairs, Dept. of State

   1995 - 1998: Deputy Counselor for Political Affairs, U.S. Embassy, Islamabad, Pakistan

   1998 - 2001: Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs, U.S. Embassy, Dhaka,
                Bangladesh

   2001 - 2004: Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, Lusaka, Zambia

   2004 - 2007: Director, Office of Southern African Affairs, Dept of State, Washington

   2007 - 2010: U.S. Ambassador to Angola, Luanda, Angola

   2010 - 2011: Professor of National Security, National War College, Washington

   2011 - 2015: U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
                Interview: [[1]]
            
                Interview: [[2]]

Following several factory disasters in Bangladesh, Ambassador Mozena spoke at the inauguration of “Help Desk and US Product and Services Information Centre” at Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He said time has come to transform the apparel sector of Bangladesh. (7) Unimpressed with slow progress, he later strongly criticized garment owners who are “unwilling to meet international safety and labor rights standards”. He urged the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, to ensure that all owners agree with workplace safety and labor rights. He agreed that progress made towards improved fire safety, factory structural soundness and respect for workers' rights to freely associate and organize had been made. (8)

In 2013 calling money and terrorism "two sides of the same coin," Ambassador Mozena emphasized the need to prevent the flow of money into terrorist organizations’ funds. He was speaking at a three-day conference on "South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Regional Judicial Conference on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing" sponsored by the Counter Terrorism Bureau of the US. State Department and US Department of Justice. (9)

On November 24, 2011, Ambassador Mozena presented his Letters of Credence to the Honorable President of Bangladesh. He worked since then to advance the interests of the people of America, Bangladesh and the region by promoting a Bangladesh that is peaceful, secure, prosperous, healthy and democratic. To take America to the people and to better understand the diversity of Bangladesh, Mozena has undertaken to visit all of the country’s 64 districts. (10) In 2014 Mozena pledged the cooperation of the United States with the efforts of the Bangladesh government. USAID mission’s Director Janina Jaruzelski, who was also present at the interaction session, said they were providing Bangladesh with $200 million to work for development projects including disaster management. (11)

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Source:

1. "Dan W. Mozena," U. S. Department of State, Online: https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/182389.htm

2. Babcock, Sue. "From Nepal to Dubuque," Telegraph Herald, July 19, 1970, p. 10

3. Ibid.

4. "Ambassador to Bangladesh--Who is Dan Mozena?" AllGov-Everything Our Government Really Does. Online: http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/ambassador-to-bangladesh-who-is-dan-mozena?news=843675

5. Ibid.

6. Outline format courtesy: "Dan Mozena." Wikipedia

7. "Mozena, No Blood-Stained Shirts, Please." The Daily Star, Sept. 3, 2013, Online: http://archive.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/mozena-no-blood-stained-shirts-please/

8. "Mozena Slams Defiant Garment Owners," The Daily Star, Mar. 29, 2014, Online: http://www.thedailystar.net/business/mozena-slams-defiant-garment-owners-12280

9. "Control Flow Into Terror Funds," The Daily Star, Aug. 26, 2013, Online: http://archive.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/control-flow-into-terrorist-fund-mozena/

10. "Dan W. Mozena."

11. "Mozena Pledges to be With Government," bdnews24.com. Feb. 27, 2014. Online: http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2014/02/27/mozena-pledges-to-be-with-govt