Program archives

Ambassador Alphonse F. La Porta assumed the presidency of The United States-Indonesia Society on April 1, 2004. Previously, Mr. La Porta served as the Political Advisor to the U.S. Commander-in-Chief of the Regional Headquarters Allied Forces in southern Europe from January 2001 to November 2004. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia from December 1997 to November 2000.

Ambassador La Porta retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in September 2003 after more than 38 years of service. He is experienced in Asian affairs, having served twice in Indonesia, as well as in Malaysia, Turkey and New Zealand. He was Principal Officer of the U.S. Consulate in Medan in 1978-1981 and served as Political Officer and Chief of the Consular Section in the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta from 1967 to 1970. In Washington, Mr. La Porta served in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs as Director of the Office of Cambodian Genocide Investigation, Executive Assistant to the President's Special Representative for the Philippine economic reform, and Deputy Director of the Office of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore Affairs. He also served as President and Vice President of the American Foreign Service Association from 1995-1997 and had several assignments in State Department management.

Ambassador La Porta is a graduate of the National War College, Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and New York University. He was a commissioned officer in the United States Army from 1961 to 1963 and speaks both Indonesian and Turkish. He has been married since 1966 to Katherine Ann Winget La Porta, an attorney. Mr. and Mrs. La Porta have two children: Dr. Katie La Porta-Beach and Andrew La Porta.