Michael A. Ceurvorst

Michael was long active in Democrats Abroad, serving as chair of DAHK, regional vice-chair for Asia-Pacific, and finally international chair of Democrats Abroad -- the top position in the organization -- before moving back to the US. He led a DNC delegation of 8 and was a member of the National Association of State Democratic Chairs. He served on the DNC's 2000 and 2004 Platform Committees. The DNC adopted several of his resolutions, including one condemning American use of torture in August 2006.

Michael actively organized for President Barack Obama's election in Iowa, Hawaii, and Beijing. He campaigned for Obama's election in Virginia. He remains active in Organizing for America, including conducting town hall meetings on health care reform in 2009.

He is currently precinct President 16-2 on the island of Kauai where he and his wife Lucille are developing a tropical hardwood tree farm.

During his diplomatic career from 1974-97, Michael served in Africa, Asia, and Europe, as well as in Washington on counternarcotics and money laundering in the drug-producing and transit countries of the Americas. He worked in the Pentagon on defense agreements in the Pacific and Australia, and in the US Senate advising then Majority Leader George Mitchell on European foreign policy. A fluent Mandarin speaker, he spent the 1980s serving in the US embassy in Beijing and consulate in Hong Kong. His work in the State Department's Politico-Military Bureau and Operations Center included the invasion of Panama to overthrow Manuel Noriega's regime, and Operation Desert Storm, the first Iraq War. He was U.S. Consul General in Stuttgart, Germany, from 1993-96.

He hates war and is deeply committed to civil, political, and human rights, as well as good governance and fiscal prudence for the common good. In sum, he is a Democrat.

• Immediate Past International Chair, Democrats Abroad 2005-2007
• Association of State Democratic Chairs, 2005-2007
• Democratic National Platform Committees, 2000 Los Angeles, and 2004 Boston
• Asia-Pacific Regional Vice Chair, Democrats Abroad, 2003-2005
• Chair, Democrats Abroad, Hong Kong 1999-2003
• Precinct 16-2 (Kalaheo) President, Kauai Democratic Party since Feb 2008

US Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell, European Foreign Policy Advisor 1992-93

• U.S. Consulate Ibadan, Nigeria - Consular officer
• State Department Operations Center - Economic officer
• Chinese Mandarin Language Training, Roslyn, Virginia and Taiwan 1978-1979
• U.S. Consulate Hong Kong, Political officer 1980-1983
• U.S. Embassy Beijing, Deputy Chief of the Consular Section 1983-1986, work including American Citizen Services, immigrant and non-immigrant visas, negotiations re visa reciprocity
• U.S. Embassy Beijing, Deputy Chief of the Political Section 1986-1989, politico-military work on arms control, Chinese military, Chinese launch of U.S. satellites, arms sales, TianAnMen developments
• U.S. State Department, Washington, D.C. - Politico-military bureau with Richard A. Clarke: counter-narcotics, counter-proliferation, arms sales Latin and South America
• Department of Defense, Pentagon - International Security Assistance, Office of Foreign Military Rights Affairs for Latin America, Australia, Pacific
• Office of Senate Majority Leader, George Mitchell, European Foreign Policy
• Consul General, U.S. Consulate General in Stuttgart, Germany

• Hulett, Wyoming: English, Latin, Drama, 1965-66
• Iowa public schools: Latin, English, speech, 1973-74

• Fort Bliss, Fort Huachuca, Fort Ben Harrison, Fort Sheridan
• Fulda, W. Germany, artillery company, then 14th Armored Cavalry Headquarters

EDUCATION
St. Ambrose College, Davenport, Iowa - BA Philosophy, 1961-65
Eberhardt-Karls-Universitaet Tuebingen - "Diplom" Masters Degree Theology, 1973

LANGUAGES
Fluent German, Chinese, English, Academic Greek, Latin, Hebrew.