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Robert Pence

Robert Pence
Official portrait, 2018
34th United States Ambassador to Finland
In office
May 24, 2018 – January 14, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byCharles C. Adams Jr.
Succeeded byDoug Hickey
Personal details
Born
Robert Frank Pence

1945 (age 79–80)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Susan Sarbacher
​
(m. 1968)​
Children3
Education

Robert Frank Pence (born 1945) is an American businessman who was United States Ambassador to Finland.[1][2] His nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 22, 2018.[3]

A graduate of the Washington College of Law at American University, he is the namesake of the school's Pence Law Library.[4]

Early life and family

Childhood and education

Pence was born in Washington, D.C. in 1945.[5] He attended the University of Maryland in College Park, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English; the American University, earning a Juris Doctor from the Washington College of Law and Master of Arts degrees in Renaissance art and literature; and Yale University, earning a Master of Arts and Master of Philosophy, both in Italian.[4]

Marriage

Pence married the former Susan "Suzy" Sarbacher in 1968. Together, they had three sons.[5]

Career

Pence founded The Pence Group (formerly known as Pence-Friedel Developers, Inc.), a commercial development firm, in 1984 and served as its president for more than thirty years.[6][7] A Republican Party donor, he did not support the candidacy of Donald Trump but was recommended for an ambassadorial appointment by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, to whom he is not related.[8][9] He served as ambassador until January 14, 2021.[10]

Rescinding award from Jessikka Aro

In 2019, the State Department selected Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro as a recipient of the prestigious International Women of Courage Award and notified her that she would be receiving the award.[11] But the award was withdrawn after Ambassador Pence and others expressed concerns that Aro had authored social media posts that were critical of President Donald Trump and might make an anti-Trump political statement during the award ceremony.[11]

The Office of the Inspector General at the State Department investigated the decision to withdraw the report and concluded that Department officials, including Ambassador Pence, lied to Congress and the public about its reasons for rescinding the report.[12][11]

References

  1. ^ "Confirmation For Trump's Finland Ambassador Could Take Months". News Now Finland. November 14, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  2. ^ Posnova, Anastasiia (November 28, 2017). "Robert Pence tapped for Finland ambassador". Yale Daily News. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  3. ^ "Robert Pence '71 Confirmed as Ambassador to Finland". www.wcl.american.edu. March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Our Donor". Pence Law Library. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Board Membership: Robert Pence". George Mason University. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  6. ^ Rein, Lisa; Hedgpeth, Dana (July 17, 2009). "Largest Tysons Landowner to Sell Holdings". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  7. ^ Hedgpeth, Dana (July 18, 2009). "Tysons Corner Developer Sells Holdings, With an Eye on Area's Future". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  8. ^ Banister, Jon (November 2, 2017). "Virginia Developers Spending Big Money on Governor's Race". Bisnow. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  9. ^ Haberman, Maggie (December 21, 2016). "Donald Trump, Seeking Ambassadors, Sorts Through Competing Priorities". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  10. ^ Ambassador Pence bioUS Embassy in Finland Archived March 20, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ a b c U.S. Department of State, Office of Inspector General (September 2020). "Review of the Selection Process for the International Women of Courage Award" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  12. ^ "Watchdog: State Dept lied about rescinding woman's award". AP NEWS. April 30, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
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Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Finland
2018–2021 		Succeeded by


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