Johnny Young

Johnny Young retired from the U.S. State Department in 2004 as a Career Ambassador with the Senior Foreign Service.  Mr. Young served as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Slovenia, Bahrain, Togo, and Sierra Leone.  In 1974 he became the first American Ambassador to Qatar.  Ambassador Young’s service encompassed the administrations of three American Presidents. 

Ambassador Young has also served for the Foreign Service in Madagascar, Guinea, Nairobi, Kenya, and Barbados.  He also served as Administrative Counselor in Amman Jordan and at The Hague in Netherlands.  In Washington, D.C. Ambassador Young worked as a Career Development Officer in the Bureau of Personnel. 

A recipient of numerous awards, Ambassador Young received the Superior Group Award for his assistance in the evacuation of U.S. citizens in Sierra Leone in 1992.  He also assisted in evacuation efforts during the Liberian war, known as Operation “Sharp Edge”. 

Mr. Young was also a fellow at the Fels Institute of State and Local Government at the University of Pennsylvania.  He received his bachelor’s degree from Temple University.