Jamie Harpootlian

Jamie Harpootlian
United States Ambassador to Slovenia
In office February 17, 2022 – July 31, 2024
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Lynda Blanchard
Succeeded by	TBC
Personal details
Born	Jamie Lindler
Nationality	American
Spouse	Dick Harpootlian ​ (m. 2007)​
Education	Mary Baldwin University (BA) Tulane University (JD)

Jamie Lindler Harpootlian (née Lindler, born September 7, 1959) is an American lawyer and diplomat. She served as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Slovenia by appointment of President Joe Biden.

Harpootlian was born in California to Cmdr. Charles R. Lindler and his wife, Margaret. Her father was a naval aviator who served in WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.^[1] Harpootlian lived her early life along coastal California and in the Philippines. Upon her father's retirement, the family moved to South Carolina to live near relatives, and her father started a new career in the hotel business.^[2]

Harpootlian's military family moved frequently. She attended six different schools in 12 years, ultimately graduating from public high school in Columbia, South Carolina. Four years later in 1981 she was graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now Mary Baldwin University) in Staunton, Virginia where she earned a B.A. in Political Science and Art History with distinction,^[3] and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. While a student at Mary Baldwin, Harpootlian spent a semester abroad studying British Foreign Policy and Modern British History at University College, Oxford University, and another semester abroad studying French Civilization at the American University in Paris. Harpootlian received her J.D. from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1984.^[4]

Harpootlian has spent much of her career as a lawyer in public service. She began her legal career working for the US Courts with United States District Judge Henry A. Mentz, Jr., in the Eastern District of Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana.^[5] Harpootlian provided legal advice on procedural and substantive issues in hundreds of cases involving a wide variety of facts and issues, but her work focused on complex litigation, multi-district cases, and mass tort class actions. Subsequently, she served by judicial appointment as a special master on a variety of state and federal mass toxic tort cases to evaluate damages, mediate settlements, resolve fee disputes, and distribute allocations.^[6] The US Department of Justice, Civil Division appointed Harpootlian to serve as a hearing officer on the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, holding hearings to assess eligibility and compensation for survivors.^[7] Harpootlian most recently worked as of counsel to the law firm of Richard A. Harpootlian, P.A.^[8] Harpootlian is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the US District court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

On May 12, 2021, sources reported that Harpootlian was being vetted for a top secret security clearance for a State Department post. On July 21, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent for Harpootlian to be his nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Slovenia.^[9][10] On August 4, 2021, her nomination was sent to the Senate.^[11] Hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on November 2, 2021. On December 15, 2021, her nomination was reported favorably out of committee.^[12] On December 18, 2021, her nomination was confirmed in the Senate by voice vote.^[13][14] President Joe Biden appointed Harpootlian U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Slovenia on December 20, 2021,^[15] and she was sworn in on December 30, 2021.^[16] She presented her letter of credence from President Biden to President of Slovenia Borut Pahor in a formal ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ljubljana on February 17, 2022.^[17] Seven days later, Putin began his illegal invasion of Ukraine.^[18]

A primary focus of Harpootlian's work in Slovenia was to support bi-lateral defense and security cooperation. Slovenia, a member of NATO,^[19] was an ardent supporter of Ukraine's independence,^[20][21] and Harpootlian encouraged Slovenia's efforts to support Ukraine's defense against the Russian aggression.^[22][23] Harpootlian advocated for Slovenian support for Ukraine's critical needs including Slovenia's significant donations of military equipment, electrical grid supplies, and humanitarian aid. She advocated for Slovenia's single largest Foreign Military Sales case to date of US-made military equipment for the Slovenian Armed Forces.^[24] She facilitated a major multinational exercise in Slovenia with 16,000 US and NATO service personnel from 30 NATO and partner nations conducting the single largest military training exercises in the Slovenian Armed Forces history.^[25]

With the approaching 75th year of NATO, and the 20th year of Slovenia's accession to NATO in 2024, there remains a segment of Slovenia's society that is anti-NATO believing that it is antithetical to their pacifist leanings. Harpootlian wrote an op-ed for the newspaper Vecer emphasizing the purpose of the alliance is to protect against aggression.^[26] Harpootlian supported investment to strengthen military and cyber defense capabilities and resilience for Slovenia, the Slovenian Armed Forces and the Western Balkan region. With a $30 million dollar contribution from the United States, Slovenia was able to develop a state-of-the-art Cyber Training and Security Operations Centre to protect the country's defense and national security capabilities, and critical infrastructure operations, as well as to provide cyber training to Western Balkan and NATO partner countries.^[27] In 2024, the US and Slovenia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Countering Foreign State Information Manipulation to continue their partnership to combat disinformation. Harpootlian developed and presented the executive-level seminar Issues and Ways Forward in the Western Balkans led by the George C. Marshall Center experts to discuss rising tension in the region.

Harpootlian welcomed the most US ship visits to the Port of Koper, and worked to encourage expansion of the Port for its strategic importance to the US.^[28][29] She oversaw major Reception, Staging, and Onward Movement operations through the Port of Koper.^[30] Harpootlian also hosted two Distinguished Visitor embarks to US aircraft carriers flying in on a Navy C-2 Greyhound, and experiencing a tailhook landing on the deck, and a catapult launch on departure. In 2022 they visited the USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75)^[31] and in 2023 she escorted another group of Slovenian leaders aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)^[32][33]. She also hosted Slovenian leadership on a port visit aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf.^[34]

In December 2022, Slovenia arrested two deep cover, Russian sleeper agents, Anna and Artem Dultsev, parents of two children living in Slovenia. The personal trust that Harpootlian built with Slovenian leadership during her tenure helped keep lines of communication open US leadership. Trust was especially critical during the final days that ultimately lead to Slovenia's agreement to release the Russian spies in their custody (and their two children) in exchange for Russia's release of Americans, including journalist Evan Gershkovic, who were wrongfully detained in Russia.^[35]

Harpootlian's efforts together with persistent Embassy outreach in support of trusted 5G telecommunications, contributed to Slovenia's implementation of strong telecom regulations. Harpootlian wrote an op-ed on this issue to address the importance of trustworthy partners.^[36]

With the assistance of the Department of State, Harpootlian hosted a Direct Line webinar together with the State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy, Matevz Frangez and Bostjan Spetic, founder of Zemanta, together with 80 registered participants located in the US from a wide variety of industries. Harpootlian and the participants discussed the potential of Slovenia's high-tech sector and Zemanta's experience of being acquired by a US company. Slovenia is home to fast-growing start-up companies in healthcare, sustainability, and emerging technologies. Several Slovenian companies, including Outfit7, Zemanta, and Celtra have recently attracted international investments.^[37]

Harpootlian pushed Embassy efforts for Slovenia to join the Artemis Accords to advance responsible space exploration.^[38]

• Ministry of Defense Medal for International Cooperation, Grade 1: In recognition of her significant contribution to the development and reputation of the Ministry of Defense and the Slovenian Armed Forces, Slovenia awarded Harpootlian the prestigious Medal for International Cooperation, Grade 1 -- the highest class. @usembassyslo; (July 27, 2024). "We are so proud that Ambassador Harpootlian received the Ministry of Defense's Medal for International Cooperation last month. As partners, friends, and Allies, our close cooperation protects the democratic freedoms that we enjoy in both Slovenia and the United States. @ministrstvozaobrambo @sarec.marjan" – via Instagram.

• TETRA and Defense Intelligence Award: The Test & Evaluation Threat Resource Activity (TETRA) and the Defense Intelligence Agency recognized Harpootlian for her outstanding contribution in support of the United States' support to Ukraine in their fight for sovereignty and freedom.
• Benjamin Joy Award: The US Department of State and the US Department of Commerce jointly awarded Embassy Ljubljana the prestigious Benjamin Joy award in recognition of the Embassy's outstanding interagency collaboration to level the playing field for US healthcare equipment manufacturers in Slovenia. Posts engagement pushed the Slovenian Ministry of Health to audit public procurement practices at Slovenia's largest hospital, revealing significant irregularities motivating reforms to Slovenia's healthcare procurement process that successfully advanced US business and national economic objectives.^[39]

Harpootlian is married to Dick Harpootlian, a lawyer, author, and former state senator. Dick served as the chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, and as a member of the South Carolina Senate from 2018 to 2024.^[40]

Meet Ambassador Harpootlian on US Embassy in Ljubljana on Youtube