Amb. Douglas Hartwick
Board of Directors
““Those of you who have visited Laos can appreciate the beauty of the country and warmth of its people who have worked hard to overcome the legacy of the most heavily bombed country in modern history. I am proud to help Legacies of War continue its remarkable work to help eliminate the unexploded ordnance that still threatens the Lao people.”
My Story
Ambassador Hartwick (retired) was the United States Ambassador to Laos from 2001-2004. During his tenure, he worked closely with the Lao and Hmong-American communities in Minnesota, Washington state and California and oversaw the signing of the first US-Laos Bilateral agreement since the Vietnam War in 2003. While Ambassador, he was voted "Man of the Year 2003" by the editors of the online periodical Vientiane Times as well as the 2004 National League of Families League Award for Sustained Effort and dedication for his work in Laos. Apart from Laos, Ambassador Hartwick was on the faculty of the National Defense University, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for South Asia, and office director at the State Department for the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore. His service in the State Department resulted in his reception of the Department's Superior Honor Award in 1982, 1984, and 1988 and a Meritorious Honor Award in 1996.
He resides Scottsdale, Arizona and is a board member of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations. He received his B.A. in Government from the College of William and Mary, M.A. in Economics from Washington State, M.S. in Applied Economics from Stanford, and M.S. in National Strategic Studies from the National Defense University. He speaks French, Spanish and Lao.