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Appointee Directory View:   Richard Boucher -- Department of State Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Richard A. Boucher was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs on February 21, 2006. The Bureau of South Asian Affairs was expanded to include the nations of Central Asia shortly before his confirmation. Over the course of his career, Ambassador Boucher served as the Department of State’s Spokesman or Deputy Spokesman under six Secretaries of State and has served as Chief of Mission twice overseas. In 2005, Ambassador Boucher became the longest-serving Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs in the Department of State’s history. He began his most recent tenure as Spokesman for the State Department in May of 2000 under Secretary Albright and continued as Spokesman throughout the tenure of Secretary Powell and for Secretary Rice until June of 2005. He had previously served as the Department's Deputy Spokesman under Secretary Baker, starting in 1989, and became the Spokesman for Secretary Eagleburger in August of 1992 and for Secretary Christopher until June of 1993. Ambassador Boucher’s early career focused on economic affairs, China and Europe. From October 1993 to June 1996 he served as U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus and from 1996 to 1999 he headed the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong as the Consul General. He led US efforts as the U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) from July 1999 to April 2000. Ambassador Boucher, a career Foreign Service Officer, entered the Foreign Service in 1977. His early tours were in Taiwan, Guangzhou, the State Department's Economic Bureau, and on the China Desk. He returned to China from 1984 to 1986 as Deputy Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai. Returning to Washington in July 1986, he served in the State Department's Operations Center and as the Deputy Director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs. Ambassador Boucher was born in Bethesda, Maryland in 1951. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in 1973 from Tufts University and did graduate work in economics at George Washington University. He speaks French and Chinese. He is married and has two children.

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