July 30, 1986
The President today announced his intention to nominate David Lyle Mack, of Oregon, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. He succeeds George Quincy Lumsden, Jr.
Mr. Mack joined the Foreign Service in 1965 and, as a first assignment, was sent to Baghdad, Iraq, as economic and consular officer. In 1966 he went to Amman, Jordan, as a consular officer and in 1967 to Jerusalem. In 1968 Mr. Mack took Arabic language training in Beirut, Lebanon, and was then assigned as political officer to Tripoli, Libya. He served there until 1980, when he became principal officer in Benghazi, Libyan Arab Republic. In 1972 he was regional policy officer for African affairs and from 1973 to 1975 became the Tunisian desk officer. He was senior watch officer in the Operations Center of the Department from 1975 to 1976, and he then was sent to Baghdad, Iraq, first as political officer, and later he served 9 months as acting principal officer. Mr. Mack was Deputy Chief of Mission in Tunis, Tunisia, from 1979 to 1982. He was Charge for 8 months. Mr. Mack became Director of the Office of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq, 1982 - 1985, and since 1985 has been a member of the senior seminar.
Mr. Mack graduated from Harvard University (B.A., 1962; M.A., 1964), and he attended the American University of Cairo as a Fulbright fellow, 1964 - 1965. His foreign languages are Arabic and French. He is married, has one child, and resides in Washington, DC. Mr. Mack was born June 10, 1940, in Portland, OR.