Eric G. Nelson

{{Short description|American diplomat}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Other people|Eric Nelson}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Eric Nelson |image = Eric G. Nelson official photo.jpg |office = [[United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina]] |president = [[Donald Trump]]<br>[[Joe Biden]] |term_start = February 19, 2019 |term_end = February 1, 2022 |predecessor = [[Maureen Cormack]] |successor = [[Michael J. Murphy (diplomat)|Michael Murphy]] |birth_name = Eric George Nelson |birth_date = |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |education = [[Rice University]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br>[[University of Texas, Austin]] ([[Master of Business Administration|MBA]]) }} '''Eric George Nelson''' is an American diplomat who served as the [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Bosnia and Herzegovina|United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina]] from 2019 to 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sarajevotimes.com/senate-names-new-us-ambassador-to-bosnia-and-herzegovina/|title=Senate names new US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina|date=January 4, 2019|website=Sarajevo Times|language=en-US|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sarajevotimes.com/chairman-of-bih-presidency-met-with-newly-elected-ambassador-of-the-usa/|title=Chairman of BiH Presidency met with Newly elected Ambassador of the USA|date=February 20, 2019|website=Sarajevo Times|language=en-US|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.state.gov/nelson-eric-george-bosnia-and-herzegovina-september-2018/|title=Ambassadorial Nomination: POST: Bosnia and Herzegovina|last=|first=|date=August 1, 2019|website=[[Department of State]]|access-date=August 1, 2019|language=en}}</ref>

==Education==

Nelson received his [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in chemical engineering from [[Rice University]] and his [[Master of Business Administration]] from [[McCombs School of Business|The University of Texas at Austin - Red McCombs School of Business]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url= https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-nelson-b241a6|title=Eric Nelson|last=|first=|date=August 1, 2019|website=[[LinkedIn]]|access-date=August 1, 2019|language=en}}</ref>

==Career== Nelson began his career in as a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia, West Africa. In 1990, he began working for the [[United States Department of State|State Department]]. He has worked in seven [[United States]] missions overseas<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-intent-nominate-personnel-key-administration-posts-60/|title=President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts|last=|first=|date=August 23, 2018|access-date=August 1, 2019|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|language=en}}</ref> including in the U.S. Embassy in [[Santo Domingo]], [[Dominican Republic]], [[Consulate General of the United States, Munich]] and in the [[Embassy of the United States, Mexico City|U.S. Embassy in Mexico City]].<ref name=":0" />

He served as [[Deputy Chief of Mission]] of the U.S. Embassy in [[Costa Rica]] from August 2010, through June 2013 and then as [[Chargé d'Affaires]] until August of that year.<ref name=":0" />

===Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina===

On August 23, 2018, President [[Donald Trump]] announced his intent to nominate Nelson as [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Bosnia and Herzegovina|United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina]].<ref name=":1" /> On January 2, 2019, the [[United States Senate|Senate]] confirmed him by [[voice vote]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/115th-congress/2446|title=PN2446 — Eric George Nelson — Department of State|last=|first=|date=January 1, 2019|website=[[United States Congress]]|access-date=August 1, 2019|language=en}}</ref> On February 18, 2019, he presented his credentials to the [[Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnian government]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bosnia.shafaqna.com/BA/AL/776083|title=BiH MFA – Newly appointed U.S. Ambassador Nelson hands credentials|last=|first=|date=February 18, 2019|access-date=August 1, 2019|language=en}}</ref> Nelson was one of five openly gay ambassadors appointed under the Trump administration.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.washingtonblade.com/2019/12/21/senate-confirms-fifth-openly-gay-ambassador-under-trump/ |title=Senate confirms fifth openly gay ambassador under Trump |last=Johnson |first=Chris |date=December 21, 2019 |website=Washington Blade: Gay News, Politics, LGBT Rights |language=en-US |access-date=February 11, 2020}}</ref> He left his post on February 1, 2022.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1488436187073286145 |user=USEmbassySJJ |title=It was my great honor to serve as [Flag of United States] AMB to [Flag of Bosnia & Herzegovina] over the last 3 years. As I depart today, I share this message with the citizens of Flag of Bosnia & Herzegovina. Thank you for making me and Filippo feel so welcome throughout my mandate. I look forward to returning as a visitor and a friend. Hvala od srca!}}</ref>

Nelson called for a new [[Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina]], stating that the current constitution is an obstacle for Bosnia to join the "Transatlantic community". He added, "There is a whole range of constitutional issues which need to be dealt with so the country can fulfill Transatlantic standards. Many of those issues are difficult to solve, but none of them is impossible."<ref>{{cite news |title=Dayton 2.0: Deal that Ended Bosnian War Needs Rewriting, But How? |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2020/11/02/dayton-2-0-deal-that-ended-bosnian-war-needs-rewriting-but-how/ |access-date=November 14, 2020 |work=Balkan Insight |date=November 2, 2020}}</ref>

On April 1, 2021, Nelson met with [[Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnian Presidency]] member [[Željko Komšić]], with whom he spoke on the importance of a transparent and inclusive electoral reform process and Bosnia and Herzegovina's Reform Program as an opportunity to attract Ally support for reforms consistent with the [[Accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union|country's EU path]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/nelson-razgovarao-s-komsicem-svi-se-trebaju-suzdrzati-od-spekulativnih-izjava/210401110|title=Nelson razgovarao s Komšićem: Svi se trebaju suzdržati od špekulativnih izjava|date=April 1, 2021|access-date=April 1, 2021|language=bs|author=G.M.|publisher=Klix.ba}}</ref> On December 7, 2021, Nelson met with Bosnian Minister of Defence [[Sifet Podžić]] and U.S. envoy Gabriel Escobar, to discuss the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the prospect of modernizing the [[Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina|country's Armed Forces]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=BiH Minister of Defense meets with US Special Envoy for the WB|url=https://sarajevotimes.com/bih-minister-of-defense-meets-with-us-special-envoy-for-the-wb/|work=Sarajevo Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Tegeltija and Escobar discuss the current Political Situation in BiH|url=https://sarajevotimes.com/tegeltija-and-escobar-discuss-the-current-political-situation-in-bih/|work=Sarajevo Times}}</ref>

==Personal life== Nelson speaks [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[German language|German]], and [[Italian language|Italian]].

==See also== {{Portal|United States|Politics}} *[[List of ambassadors appointed by Donald Trump (2017–2021)|List of ambassadors appointed by Donald Trump]]

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

==External links== *{{Commonscat-inline|Eric G. Nelson}}

{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{s-bef|before=[[Maureen Cormack]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina]]|years=2019–2022}} {{s-aft|after=[[Michael J. Murphy (diplomat)|Michael Murphy]]}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Eric George}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:21st-century American diplomats]] [[Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Bosnia and Herzegovina]] [[Category:American gay men]] [[Category:Gay diplomats]] [[Category:LGBTQ ambassadors of the United States]] [[Category:LGBTQ appointed officials in the United States]] [[Category:McCombs School of Business alumni]] [[Category:Rice University alumni]] [[Category:United States Foreign Service personnel]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]