James Costos
James Costos
James Costosis the United States Ambassador to Spain and Andorra. He was appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate on August 1, 2013...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDiplomat
CountryUnited States of America
camp dad david family hard instilled marine mom president tenure values work
My mom and dad are second-generation Greek-Americans who instilled in our middle-class family the values of hard work, self-reliance, and service, exemplified by my father's tenure as a U.S. Marine who was stationed at Camp David under President Truman.
board define happen humane society
I say I just happen to be gay. It's just like everything else - I've been on the board of The Humane Society, and I'm a vegetarian, but these are just some of the things that define me as a person. They don't define me in general.
rid
You can have all of the laws and protection in place, but how do you get rid of homophobia? This is something that the U.S. is going to have to deal with.
crucial direct
I have a direct line with Obama. It's a crucial link. And I can put Spain in the spotlight.
louder people power
At the end of the day, what I have is the power to give a louder voice to people who have issues, questions and problems.
associated coming contacts costs factor films major producers
Coming from the industry and maintaining contacts with producers and directors, I am very well aware that costs associated with movie production are a major factor in determining where films get made.
ambassador anywhere promote
One of the roles of a U.S. ambassador - anywhere in the world - is to promote bilateral trade and investment.
ambassador best foreign minister prince travel
Prince Felipe is the best ambassador for Spain: I have already told Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, minister of foreign affairs, that the prince should travel to the U.S. more often.
business diplomatic move multiple
A diplomatic mission, like a company, is comprised of multiple departments, all of which must be relied upon to move business forward.
add ally diplomatic further historical history shared united
Spain is an important historical ally of the United States, and if confirmed, I will add to our more than 200 years of diplomatic history to further our shared interests.
expanding states united
As ambassador, I am focused on expanding bilateral trade and investment between the United States and Spain.
people
I want to help find opportunities for people to become active participants in their communities.
business company dozens employees external gain inspire large leadership relationships respect
At HBO, my leadership had to inspire and gain the respect of employees in a large company with over 100 external business relationships in dozens of countries.
brothers canary century companies filming government incentives islands local logical looking major offer potential special studios time
The Canary Islands offer special incentives to companies looking at potential filming locations, so it was only logical for me to help the local government make connections with major U.S. film studios like Universal, Fox, Sony, Disney, Paramount, Time Warner, 21st Century Fox, CBS, Viacom, Comcast, HBO, Netflix, Warner Brothers etc.