Commissioner George McDade Staples

Congessional District - State at Large
Pineville - Bell

Ambassador George McDade Staples, of Pineville, is retired.  He is the former director general of the Foreign Service and director of human resources for the U.S. Department of State.  From 1998 to 2001 he served as U.S. ambassador to Rwanda, followed by four years of service as U.S. ambassador to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.  He has held a number of assignments in the State Department, most recently serving as political advisor to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe at NATO in Belgium.

Prior to his work for the Department of State, Staples served as a military officer in the U.S. Air Force and as a manager in private industry.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in business from Central Michigan University.  He has served as a member of various civic, political and business organizations.  He is married to Jo Ann Fuson Staples and represents the state at large on the commission. His term expires Sept. 12, 2010.