H. Martin McDowell

Chargé d’Affaires of the United States to Bulgaria

A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Martin serves as the Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of the United States in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Prior to arriving in Sofia in September 2024 to begin his assignment as Deputy Chief of Mission, Martin was the Director of the Office of South Central European Affairs (EUR/SCE) at the U.S. Department of State, and prior that served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau, Moldova.

Other overseas assignments include Slovakia, El Salvador, Moldova (2004-2007) and Slovenia. In Washington, Martin was also the Deputy Director in the Office for Central European Affairs, a Special Assistant for Europe in the Office of the Undersecretary for Political Affairs, and the desk officer for Norway and Sweden.

Martin received a MA from the University of Alabama in 1996 and a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College in 2010. Born and raised in Alabama, Martin is married and has two daughters.

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