James S. Gilmore

James S. Gilmore III was appointed by President Donald Trump to be Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria in 2019. He was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. As ambassador, he headed a mission devoted to the security issues of the 57 member countries, involving matters of geopolitics, arms control, economics and human rights. He engaged closely with the ambassadors appointed by the member countries, meeting with them each week formally in the Hoffberg palace, and in numerous additional diplomatic meetings and conferences. During his term of appointment, Ambassador Gilmore engaged in addressing the conflicts in east Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan and Armenia. The U.S. mission to OSCE interacted with all the countries of Europe, Canada, the Balkans, Russia and Central Asia.

Ambassador Gilmore was elected the 68th Governor of Virginia in 1997. As Governor, he reduced the tax on cars and trucks as he promised during his campaign. He focused on education, implementing standards of learning, and signed the bill devoting lottery proceeds to education. Governor Gilmore reduced tuition and fees for Virginia’s college students, and was the first Governor to fully fund the traditional Black colleges in the Commonwealth.

Governor Gilmore traveled extensively on behalf of business development for Virginia, visiting sixteen countries on three continents. Governor Gilmore chaired the Congressional Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce, working to limit taxation on internet sales. In Virginia, he created the nation’s first Secretariat of Technology to enhance the industry in his state, and focus the Virginia government on technology applications. After government service, Ambassador Gilmore has served on seven corporate boards of directors. He was a candidate for President of the United States in 2008 and 2016.

From 1999 to 2003 Ambassador chaired the Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction, more commonly referred to as the “Gilmore Commission”. The Commission warned of the dangers of an attack on the homeland prior to the 9-11 attacks on New York and at the Pentagon, and issued two additional reports thereafter.

Ambassador Gilmore was appointed Chairman of the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Air Force Academy from 2002-2005 by President George W. Bush, and was awarded the Air Force Exceptional Service Medal in 2006. He was appointed to be the Chairman of the Republican National Committee from January 2001 to January 2002. Ambassador Gilmore served in the U.S. Army from 1971-1974, and was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for service in the Military Intelligence to a multi-national military command headquartered in West Germany.

Ambassador Gilmore is a member of the Bar of Virginia and of the District of Columbia. He was elected Attorney General of Virginia in 1993. Gilmore was elected in 1987 to be the Commonwealth’s Attorney for his home county of Henrico, Virginia. Ambassador Gilmore holds a B.A. degree in international relations from the University of Virginia, and a J.D. degree from the U.Va. School of Law. He is married to Roxane Gilmore, formerly a classics professor at Randolph Macon College in Ashland, VA. They have two sons, James S. Gilmore IV, and Ashton Gatling Gilmore, and one granddaughter, Genevive. Ambassador and Mrs. Gilmore reside in Richmond, Va. and Alexandria, Va.

Ambassadorial Post(s)

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), (2019 - 2021)

Areas of Expertise