About Us
Andrew T. Simkin - Consul General
Andrew T. Simkin assumed his duties as U.S. Consul General in Chennai, India on August 21, 2008. Mr. Simkin was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1961, and grew up in Seattle, Washington from the age of four. He joined the U.S. Department of State in 1987, and became a career member of the Senior Foreign Service in 2008. His career has focused primarily on consular services: visas, passports, and assistance to American citizens abroad.
Mr. Simkin’s prior foreign assignments commenced with service as a Vice Consul in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, then in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Mr. Simkin served as Staff Assistant to the U.S. Ambassador in Madrid, as Chief for American Citizen Services in Guadalajara, Mexico, as Deputy Chief of the Consular Section at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana Cuba, and as Consular Section Chief at American Embassy Kuwait.
Mr. Simkin’s Washington experience has included service as Ecuador Desk Officer, as Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services, and on the Systems Liaison staff in the Visa Office. He coordinated Bureau of Consular Affairs staff operations as Special Assistant to Assistant Secretary Maura Harty, 2002-2004. He served for two years as Director of Consular Training at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, and headed the Office of Consular Fraud Prevention Programs, 2006-2008.
Mr. Simkin has received the State Department’s Meritorious Honor Award five times, and the Superior Honor Award four times. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Mr. Simkin completed a B.A. in history at Earlham College and earned a J.D. with honors at the University of Dayton School of Law. His wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Simkin, holds bachelor’s degrees from Earlham College and Wright State University, and is a registered nurse. They have two sons and one daughter, born 1986, 1988, and 1990. All three are currently studying in the United States.
The Simkins are very happy to be posted in Chennai and are enjoying their experiences with the people of India.