Kenneth I. Juster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kenneth I. Juster
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| 25th United States Ambassador to India | |
| In office November 23, 2017 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | MaryKay Carlson (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Donald Heflin (acting) |
| Deputy Director of the National Economic Council | |
| In office January 20, 2017 – June 7, 2017 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Adewale Adeyemo |
| Succeeded by | Everett Eissenstat |
| Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security | |
| In office 2001–2005 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | William Alan Reinsch |
| Succeeded by | David McCormick |
| Counselor of the United States Department of State | |
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Acting
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| In office 1992–1993 |
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| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Robert B. Zoellick |
| Succeeded by | Tim Wirth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 24, 1954 New York City, U.S. |
| Relatives | Norton Juster (uncle) |
| Education | Harvard University (BA, MPP, JD) |
Kenneth Ian Juster (born November 24, 1954) is an experienced American diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in other nations. They work to build good relationships and solve problems. From 2017 to 2021, he was the United States Ambassador to India. This means he was the top U.S. representative in India.
Mr. Juster has worked for over 40 years in government, law, business, and international affairs. Besides being an Ambassador, he has held important roles in the U.S. government. He has also worked for big companies and law firms. He is currently a senior advisor at several global organizations.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kenneth Juster was born in New York City. His father, Howard H. Juster, was an architect. His mother, Muriel (Uchitelle) Juster, taught social studies in high school. His uncle, Norton Juster, was a famous author. He wrote children's books like The Phantom Tollbooth.
Juster grew up in Scarsdale, New York. He went to Greenacres Elementary School. In 2010, he was named a Distinguished Alumnus there. While at Scarsdale Junior High School, he and friends interviewed Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. This was for their school newspaper in 1966. He graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1972. He was president of the Honor Society and an exchange student in Thailand.
Juster went to Harvard College and graduated in 1976. He studied Government. He then completed a special program at Harvard Law School and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He earned two degrees in 1980: a law degree and a Master of Public Policy.
Career Highlights
Starting His Career
Juster first worked for the U.S. government in 1978 as an intern. He was at the National Security Council. After law school, he worked as a law clerk for a judge.
From 1981 to 1989 and again from 1993 to 2001, Juster worked as a lawyer. He became a senior partner at the firm Arnold & Porter. He handled international cases and helped businesses. One important case was representing the government of Panama. He helped them get back their overseas money. For this, he received a special award from the President of Panama.
Working with President George H. W. Bush
From 1989 to 1993, Juster worked at the U.S. Department of State. He helped set up programs to assist countries in Central and Eastern Europe. These countries were changing after the Soviet Union collapsed. He also helped organize the first meeting to assist these new countries.
Juster was part of a team that went to Israel during the first Gulf War. They talked with Israeli leaders about their role in the war. For his work at the State Department, he received the Secretary of State's highest honor. He also received an award from Germany for his work on U.S.-German relations.
Working with President George W. Bush
From 2001 to 2005, Juster served as U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce. He was in charge of the Bureau of Industry and Security. This role involved managing trade rules related to national security. He oversaw the export of sensitive U.S. goods and technologies.
Juster helped create the U.S.–India High Technology Cooperation Group. He also helped shape a key partnership between the United States and India. His work helped improve the relationship between the two countries. He received an award for his contributions to U.S.-India relations. He also worked on agreements to strengthen the security of U.S. technology exports to China.
Technology and Finance Roles
From 2005 to 2010, Juster was an executive at Salesforce. This is a big software company. He helped with legal matters, company strategy, and international growth. He also helped the company buy other smaller companies.
From 2010 to 2017, Juster was a partner at Warburg Pincus. This is a global investment firm. He focused on global public policy and how world events might affect investments. He also started the firm's program for environmental and social responsibility.
Working with President Donald Trump
In 2017, Juster became a deputy assistant to the president. He worked on international economic affairs. He helped coordinate economic policy with national security and foreign policy. He also helped set up economic discussions with Japan and the United Kingdom. He was the lead U.S. negotiator for the G7 summit in Italy.
Ambassador to India
In May 2017, President Trump chose Juster to be the next United States Ambassador to India. The U.S. Senate approved his nomination in November 2017. He officially became the 25th U.S. Ambassador to India on November 23, 2017.
As Ambassador, Juster led the third-largest U.S. mission in the world. This included the embassy in Delhi and consulates in other Indian cities. He managed about 2,500 employees. He also oversaw the U.S. relationship with Bhutan. He even created the first Office of Bhutan Affairs at the Embassy.
During his time, Juster worked on many issues with India. These included defense, trade, energy, science, and health. He gave a speech in 2018 about a strong U.S.-India partnership. He also helped develop the U.S. government's Indo-Pacific strategy. He helped restart the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) with Australia, India, and Japan.
Diplomatic Achievements
The United States and India agreed on the idea of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. They also started an annual "2+2 Ministerial Dialogue." This is where the Foreign and Defense Ministers from both countries meet. During Juster's time, they signed important defense agreements. These included agreements to share sensitive information and technology.
The U.S. also joined India and Japan for the first Trilateral Summit in 2018. The Quad group (Australia, India, Japan, U.S.) also held meetings. They worked together on regional issues like maritime security and disaster relief.
Defense Cooperation
The U.S. and India increased their military exercises. Juster started the first-ever joint military exercise called "Tiger Triumph" in 2019. In 2020, Australia joined the "Malabar" naval exercise. This was the first time since 2007. Also, for the first time, the U.S. and India exchanged naval officers to work at each other's military facilities. India also bought over $3.5 billion worth of U.S. military equipment.
Economic and Commercial Growth
Trade and investment between the U.S. and India reached new highs. Two-way trade grew from $114 billion in 2016 to over $146 billion in 2019. This made the U.S. India's top trading partner. In 2018, the U.S. gave India "Strategic Trade Authorization, Tier One status." This allows India to access many highly regulated U.S. technologies.
Energy was a key part of the economic relationship. The two countries started a Strategic Energy Partnership in 2018. India became a major buyer of U.S. coal, crude oil, and natural gas.
Health and Science Cooperation
Cooperation in health and science also grew. The U.S.-India Health Dialogue met in 2019. They discussed research, health safety, and diseases. This helped them work together during the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. health experts helped India with contact tracing and testing. Scientists from both countries also worked together to develop and test COVID-19 vaccines.
Juster led the U.S. Mission in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. He helped over 5,800 Americans return home from India. He also helped open India's Antimicrobial Resistance Hub in Kolkata in 2019.
Cultural Diplomacy
Juster also worked on cultural diplomacy. He helped restore murals at the Ambassador's residence. He also made a fun video in 2019. It showed him making trick basketball shots to welcome the NBA to India. This video was even shown on ESPN.
He also met with the Tibetan community in India. This included meetings with the 14th Dalai Lama.
For his service as Ambassador, Juster received top honors from several U.S. government agencies.
Juster Fellowships
Kenneth Juster's experiences studying and working abroad greatly influenced him. To help other students have similar opportunities, he created two fellowships in 2010. These are for students at Harvard University.
One fellowship helps undergraduate students research international topics. The other supports master's students studying international affairs. In 2022, he created a third fellowship for law students at Harvard. About five to ten students receive these fellowships each year.
Awards
Juster has received many honors and awards, including:
- U.S. Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award and Medal, 2020, 1993
- U.S. Department of Defense's Distinguished Public Service Award and Medal, 2021
- U.S. Director of National Intelligence's Exceptional Service Award and Medal, 2020
- U.S. Department of Energy's Excellence Award, 2020
- National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) Global Catalyst Award, 2020
- The Luxury League (India) Award for Outstanding Contributions Toward Cultural Diplomacy, 2019
- Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit from the president of Germany, 2006
- Secretary of Commerce's William C. Redfield Award and Medal, 2005
- Vasco Núñez de Balboa en el Grado de Gran Cruz Decoration and Medal from the president of Panama, 2004
- Blackwill Award from the U.S.-India Business Council, 2004
- Friendship Award from the U.S.-Panama Business Council, 2004, 2002
- Distinguished Alumnus of Scarsdale High School, 2007
- Distinguished Alumnus of Greenacres Elementary School, 2010
Personal Life
Juster is married to Alyssa Bliss Juster. She is an attorney and interior designer. He has two stepdaughters, Julia and Ana.
