Consul General

Consul General Jo Ellen Powell

Consul General Jo Ellen Powell assumed charge of the U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt in August 2006.

Prior to her assignment to Frankfurt Jo Ellen Powell, a career member of the Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, was Executive Director of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA), 2004-2006. She served as director of the Human Resources bureau’s Office of Employee Relations, 2001- 2004, and as the Management Counselor, U.S. Embassy Canberra, 1998-2001.

She also served as the deputy executive director of the Executive Secretariat, 1996-1998, and as the supervisory post management officer for the Bureau of European Affairs. Overseas, she has been the supervisory General Services Officer in Paris, assistant GSO in Rome, Economic/Commercial officer in Beirut, and consular officer/assistant GSO in Amman, Jordan. Jo Ellen also served in the Operations Center.

Jo Ellen Powell grew up in a Foreign Service family, living in Panama, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, India, Iran, and Laos. She joined the State Department in 1976, working in the passport office and later in the Bureau of Personnel and the Foreign Service Institute. She joined the Foreign Service in 1980.

Mrs. Powell is a recipient of the Department’s Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards. In November 2005, she was a co-recipient of the Department’s Luther I. Repogle Award for Management Improvement.

Jo Ellen Powell is married to Stephen Engelken, also a career Foreign Service Officer. They have one son, John.