Jay Bruns is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. Before assuming his current position in January 2000, he attended the National War College. From 1996 to 1999, Bruns was United States Consul General in Vancouver, Canada. In that capacity he oversaw administrative arrangements for the 1997 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) meetings, and he and his staff worked on bilateral issues including Pacific salmon and softwood lumber.

Before arriving in Vancouver, Bruns worked in the American Embassy in Tokyo where he participated in U.S.-Japan negotiations on insurance, automobiles and auto parts, and flat glass. From 1988 to 1991, Bruns served in the U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, first as chief of the economic section and later as Charge’ d’Affaires.

Earlier, Bruns held three positions in Washington, D.C.: director of investment affairs at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; special assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State; and economic officer in the State Department office covering Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Jordan. From 1981 to 1983, Bruns worked at the U.S. Embassy in Bonn, Germany. He served as staff assistant to the Ambassador and later moved to the political section working on issues concerning Berlin. Bruns began his career at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway in 1979.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Bruns worked at the Smithsonian Institution’s Woodrow Wilson Center; as an intern for a congressman from his home state of Colorado; and in Rocky Mountain National Park. Bruns holds a B.A. from Colorado College and a Masters from George Washington University. He also attended the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. He speaks Norwegian, Danish, German and Japanese.

Bruns is married to Katherine Breer Bruns. They have three young children, Timothy, Lucas and Ginger. They enjoy the outdoors and sports, especially tennis, skiing (Bruns is a former ski instructor) and hiking.