Josh Huck will take over as head of the U.S. Embassy in Athens in the coming months, until the process of replacing Kimberly Guilfoyle, who was dismissed today, gets underway and her successor is appointed.

An experienced diplomat who has served at the State Department and at embassies around the world, Huck is currently the deputy chief of mission. However, he does not appear likely to be the person who ultimately takes the helm of the embassy.

In the past, Huck served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State responsible for policy on Southern Europe and the Caucasus, as well as Director of the Office of Southern European Affairs, with responsibility for Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Turkey.

Since joining the U.S. Foreign Service in 2001, he has served in Shanghai, Tokyo, Sofia, Rangoon, Taipei and Hong Kong.

He has also held positions in Washington, including at the Office of Chinese Affairs and the Office of Korean Affairs. Finally, according to his official biography, he served as chief of staff to Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Josh Huck graduated from Johns Hopkins University, holds a master’s degree from the International University of Japan, and has a certificate from Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna. He speaks Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Burmese and Bulgarian.

The process of selecting the new person to lead the embassy in Athens will take many months. Congress has the final say, but given that the midterm elections are approaching and could well shift the balance of power, confirmation may take place in the first months of 2027.