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Jimmy Kolker - Chief of HIV/AIDS, Programme Division

© UNICEF/ HQ07-1555/Susan Markisz

Jimmy Kolker

Jimmy Kolker assumed his new duties as Chief of the HIV/AIDS Section on 1 October 2007. He will provide overall leadership and coordination of UNICEF's work on HIV and AIDS at global level.

Prior to joining UNICEF, Jimmy served as Deputy Global AIDS Coordinator and Director of Multilateral Diplomacy in the Office of the U. S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC), which leads implementation of President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). He served in numerous political reporting and management assignments during his 30-year diplomatic career with the U.S. Department of State.

Jimmy served as U.S. Ambassador to Uganda (2002-2005) and to Burkina Faso (1999-2002). Prior to his service as Ambassador, he also served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Denmark (1996-1999) and Botswana (1990-1994). Other overseas posts were in Britain, Sweden, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In Washington, he served in the State Department’s Africa Bureau and as a Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Management. In 2005, he won the Arnold L. Raphel Memorial Award, given to the person who has done the most to develop Foreign Service talent and mentor subordinates.

Jimmy was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and holds a B.A. in Political Science from Carleton College (Minnesota) and a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University. He speaks French, Swedish, and Portuguese. He is married to Britt-Marie Forslund. They have two daughters – Anne, 21 and Eva, 19.

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