A 31-year veteran of the Foreign Service, Mr. Urs assumed duties as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid (Spain) in June 2014, and Chargé d’Affaires in January 2017.
Previously, he served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs and Chief U.S. Government Aviation Negotiator at the
Department of State from November 2010 until June 2014.
He also served as Director in the Office of Aviation Negotiations in the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs at the Department of State (September 2009 - October 2010), Charge d’Affaires, a.i. at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia (September 2008 - June 2009), Deputy Chief of Mission at the same embassy (July 2006 - September 2008), Director of the Office of Economic Policy and Summit Coordination in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the Department of State (2003 - 2006).
The diplomat served overseas as an economic officer in the Dominican Republic (2000-2003), Peru (1996-2000), Nicaragua (1990-1993), Bangladesh (1988-1990) and Mexico (1987-1988). He served at the Department of State as the senior Pakistan Desk Officer (1994-1996) and on detail to Department of Treasury (1993-1994), working in the Office of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs.
Mr. Urs is a 1980 graduate of Georgetown University, where he studied Latin American politics and economics at the Walsh School of Foreign Service. He earned a Master's Degree at the University of Texas in economics (1985).
He speaks Spanish and Hindi.