Charles A. Ford

Charles Arthur Ford (born c. 1950) is a career Minister of the Commerce Department Foreign Commercial Service (FCS), and is currently the Commerce Department Assistant Secretary and Director General, Acting of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service (USFCS).
Ford was born in Dayton, Ohio in May 1950. He obtained his B.A. in Economics from the College of William and Mary in 1972, and his M.A. in Latin American Studies from George Washington University in 1975.

Ambassador (r) Charles A.Ford is President of CAF International, LLC, an international market development and strategic communication/change management consultancy.

Previously, Ford served as the Acting Assistant Secretary of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service (USFCS) at the Commerce Department. In this role, he managed a $270 million budget and 1400 employees located in more than 70 countries. From 2008–2009, he served as the Advisor on Public-Private Partnerships to the Commander of U.S. Southern Command. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras from 2005-2008.

Ford received the President's Award for Distinguished Service in 2008 and the Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Department of Defense in 2009. From the Department of Commerce he earned: the Silver Medal for expansion of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service network into the former Soviet Union; the Department of Commerce Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement in Federal Service; and the Department of Commerce/International Trade Administration Bronze Medal for outstanding achievement at the U.S. Mission to the European Union.

As a member of the United States Foreign Commercial Service since 1982, Ford has had an extensive experience in Europe and Latin America. He served as a Commercial Minister at the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium; Commercial Counselor, U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela; Commercial Minister, U.S. Embassy in London, United Kingdom; Commercial Attaché, U.S. Embassy in Guatemala; Commercial Consul, U.S. Consulate in Barcelona, Spain; Commercial Attaché, U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. From 1990–1994, he served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Operations of the USFCS and as Director of Latin American Trade Policy in the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration.

Ambassador Ford is the Treasurer of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and he is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Washington Institute for Foreign Affairs. He is on the boards of several organizations, including: the PDI defense group; the Thomas Jefferson School of Public Policy at the College of William and Mary; the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy at George Washington University; and the DACOR Bacon House Foundation, an organization of foreign affairs professionals. Further, from 2003–2005, he was a Vice President of AFSA representing USFCS.

Ambassador Ford obtained his B.A. in Economics from the College of William and Mary, and his M.A.in Latin American Studies from the George Washington University. He is fluent in Spanish. Born in Dayton Ohio, Ford lives in the Washington D.C. area and is married to Lillian Ford. They have two adult children, Monica Ann and Michael Arthur.