Jeffrey Weinshenker

Public Affairs Officer, US Embassy in Bulgaria

Jeff Weinshenker is a career U.S. diplomat with 16 years’ experience spanning multiple continents and including a variety of key public diplomacy functions.  Jeff assumed the role of Counselor for Public Affairs at U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria, in August 2021.  Previously, he served as Press and Executive Communications Unit Chief for the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs, where he received the 2020 Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Public Diplomacy for his leadership in shaping outreach to American citizens abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Jeff joined the Foreign Service in 2005, and has lived overseas in Japan, India, and Ecuador.  Other assignments include as Press and Social Media Training Coordinator at the Foreign Service Institute; Public Diplomacy Advisor for the Office of Central American Affairs; and Staff Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.   Prior to joining the U.S. Department of State, Jeff worked as a speechwriter and communications advisor at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and in the public relations sector in Boston, Massachusetts.  He holds a B.A. in political science from Harvard University, and speaks Bulgarian, Spanish, Japanese, and Hindi.  Jeff is married and is the proud father of two daughters and one son.