Deputy Chief of Mission

William A. Heidt’s Biography

William Heidt assumed his duties as Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) of the American Embassy in Warsaw, effective November 9, 2009.  Mr. Heidt is a Foreign Service professional with a strong record of Washington policymaking and overseas management experience.

William Heidt began his Foreign Service career as Vice Consul at the U.S. Consulate in Poznań from 1988-90, where he witnessed the historic fall of Communism and the first year of Poland’s new democracy.  He served subsequent assignments in the State Department’s Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs, the Office of the Under Secretary for Economic and Agricultural Affairs, and the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.  Bill has also served overseas tours of duty in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  After the latter assignment, in recognition of his outstanding work in support of workers’ rights and independent trade unions in Cambodia, Bill was awarded the joint Department of State-Department of Labor “Excellence in Labor Diplomacy” award in 2000.  His most recent assignment was as Counselor for Economic and Social Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations from 2007-09, where he worked on global development, economic, human rights, and democracy issues.  Bill holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Pennsylvania State University and a Masters degree from George Washington University.  Bill was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, and is married with one son.