James M. Derham

James M. Derham is an American diplomat. He served as United States Ambassador to Guatemala from 2005 to 2008.

Early life

He graduated from Fordham University and received M.A.s from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and George Washington University.

Career

He served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Chargé d'Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Brasília, and Consul General in Rio de Janeiro. He also served in diplomatic positions in Havana, Ciudad Juarez, and Sao Paulo. From 2005 to 2008, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala. In 2010, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Lisbon. He also worked as Chief of Party for a USAID project in Pristina, Kosovo, and on Capitol Hill.

Since January 10, 2011, he has served as Chargé d'Affaires to Venezuela.

Personal life

He is married to Joleen A. Schweitzer, and they have two sons, Michael T. Derham and Christopher D. Derham. In 2010, they bought a house in Williamsburg, Virginia.