Joan A. Polaschik

Joan A. Polaschik (born 1969) is a diplomat and the former United States Ambassador to Algeria. She was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate July 29, 2014. Her term began August 14, 2014 and ended inApril 27, 2017.

Polaschik grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. Polaskchik attended the University of Virginia, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Russian Studies and Foreign Affairs in 1991.She earned an Master of Science from Georgetown University in foreign service.

Polaschik joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1995. Her initial assignments brought her to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and in 1997 she became a political officer at the embassy in Tunis, Tunisia. In 1999 she became a staff assistant in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. Her next assignments brought her to Amman, Jordan, where she dealt with the issue of refugees from the Iraq war and to Baku, Azerbaijan.

In 2009 Polaschik moved to Tripoli, Libya, as deputy chief of mission. As the embassy's chargé d'affaires she coordinated evacuation of non-essential embassy staff and dependents. The embassy in Tripoli was then shut down, the first time in 12 years the U.S. closed a mission.Before the final evacuation, Polaschik stayed up all night destroying computers and sensitive information. After escaping from Libya, embassy staff reunited in Washington, D.C. and established an embassy-in-exile.

On September 11, 2012, the consulate was attacked and four people, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, were killed.

In 2013 she began an assignment asDirector in the Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs with the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.

In addition to English, Polaschik speaks French and Arabic, having studied Arabic at the Foreign Service Institute.