Richard B. Norland (official photo).

TBILISI, DFWatch – Barack Obama has proposed Richard Boyce Norland as new U.S. ambassador to Georgia.

The President proposed Norland as replacement for current ambassador John R. Bass, whose term expires this autumn. He was appointed in October 2009.

The Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee will have to review Norland’s candidacy before he is approved.

The U.S.’ new face in Georgia is currently working as an international affairs advisor at the National War College in Washington. He has been U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan, and before that he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Riga, Latvia (2003-2005), and as Political Officer in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan (October 2002-January 2003) working on the U.S. Army’s civil reconstruction effort.