Judy Rising Reinke is only the fifth foreign service officer from the Department of Commerce – and the first woman – to be confirmed as Chief of Mission.
Reinke carried out the duties of the Deputy Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (US&FCS) from June 2013 through August 2017, also serving for extended periods as the acting Assistant Secretary/Director General for the US&FCS. In this role, Judy was the chief operating officer of the U.S. Government’s premier export promotion agency, managing its programs in 100 domestic offices and over 75 countries overseas. During her tenure, Ms. Reinke was responsible for carrying out a major reorganization that resulted in the creation of the newly formed Global Markets division, consisting of the US&FCS, the Advocacy Center, and the SelectUSA investment promotion agency. She also carried out an expansion that doubled the number of offices in sub-Saharan Africa, opened the agency’s first office in Burma, and deepened staff presence around the world.
Prior to her tenure as Deputy Director General, Judy served as the Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, from 2010-13. In this capacity, she was the senior representative of the U.S. Department of Commerce responsible for the operations of the US&FCS in India, supervising the strategic program of seven trade promotion offices and four related agencies.
Previously, Judy served as the Regional Director for Western Europe, overseeing the operations of the US&FCS at U.S. Embassies and Consulates in 14 countries in Europe and the US&FCS liaison office at the European Union (2008-10). She also served as the Senior Commercial Officer in Manila, Philippines (2005-08), and in Bangkok, Thailand (2002-05). Judy’s earlier overseas experience includes her role as Deputy Senior Commercial Officer in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 1999-2002; Commercial Attaché in Bonn, Germany (1993-98); and Commercial Officer with responsibility for export control matters in Bern, Switzerland (1990-92). Judy began her government career at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. in the Bureau of Export Administration (1986-90) and in the International Trade Administration’s Import Administration (1983-86).
Judy holds a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs (MPA) from the Woodrow Wilson School of Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts from Smith College; she has also completed the Stanford Executive Program at Stanford University.
