Donald J. Bouchard was born in Waterville, Maine on June 18, 1937.
At that time, he moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as special assistant in the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Management.
He then spent 1976-79 at the U.S. Embassy, Ottawa, working as an administrative counselor.
He was administrative counselor at the United States Embassy in Madrid 1979-81.
In 1985, President of the United States Ronald Reagan nominated Bouchard as Assistant Secretary of State for Administration and Bouchard served in that office from December 12, 1985 until November 30, 1987.