PRESS RELEASES
New US Consul General Sharon Wiener Arrives in Istanbul
August 22, 2007, Ankara
The new Consul General of the United States of America in Istanbul, Sharon Anderholm Wiener, arrived in Istanbul on August 16, 2007. She presented her credentials to the Governor of Istanbul Province, Muammer Güler, in a meeting at the Governor’s office on August 20.
Consul General Wiener’s Biography:
Sharon Anderholm Wiener is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, with the rank of Minister Counselor. During her 29-year diplomatic career, she has served in a variety of policy and management positions in Washington and in major embassies in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.
Most recently, Ms. Wiener served as a Senior Advisor in the State Department's Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs. From 2004-2006, she was a member of the Foreign Service Board of Examiners and served as the Chairman of the Foreign Service Commissioning and Tenure Board.
In her last overseas posting, Ms. Wiener was the Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs in Paris (2000-2004). Prior to that, she served as the Director of the Office of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon Affairs in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. From 1997-98, Ms. Wiener attended the Senior Seminar, an interagency management program for senior national security officials. Ms. Wiener served as Director of the State Department Operations Center from 1995-97.
Ms. Wiener’s overseas postings include Deputy Political Counselor in Cairo (1993-95) and Deputy Chief of the Arms Control Implementation Unit in Moscow (1990-92). Earlier she served in the State Department as desk officer for Libya and as analyst for Mexico and the Caribbean in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. Ms. Wiener’s first Foreign Service assignment was in Bogota, Colombia (1979-81), followed by her first tour in Paris (1981-85). Ms. Wiener has been awarded five Superior Honor Awards. Her languages are Turkish, French, Arabic, Russian and Spanish.
Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Ms. Wiener was an instructor with the University of Maryland Overseas Division in Adana and Ankara, Turkey (1975-78). She received her B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University, and as an undergraduate spent one year studying at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University.
A native of Minnesota, Ms. Wiener is married to Howard C. (Kerry) Wiener, a recently retired senior Foreign Service Officer. They have two children, Eric (27) and Kristin (21).