vailsymposium

Ambassador Christopher R. Hill is a professional American diplomat who has served under seven presidents since entering the U.S. Foreign Service in 1977.  Hill is a five-time ambassador across multiple regions in Senate-confirmed positions, including as ambassador to Iraq, the Republic of Korea, Poland, North Macedonia and most recently to the Republic of Serbia until January 2025.  He was also Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. As the senior U.S. negotiator, Hill led U.S. efforts at the Six Party Talks to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons program in 2005-2009. Earlier, he was a lead State Department negotiator in Dayton, Ohio, the process that ended the war in Bosnia.  Later, he was the U.S. special envoy in negotiations that led to the end of the Kosovo war. In addition, Hill served as a senior director in the National Security Council staff and as a special assistant to President Clinton.  He earned a BA at Bowdoin College and MA from the Naval War College. Outside of the foreign service he was the Dean of the Korbel School at the University of Denver and taught at Columbia University.  He began his career as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa.