He was previously the Chief of Mission of the United States Interests Section in Havana, Cuba,[1] from July 2008 to September 2011.

Farrar joined the U.S. State Department in 1980 as an economic officer, and is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service.

[3] Prior to assuming his position as USINT COM, Farrar served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), and was DRL's Acting Assistant Secretary from August 2007 to March 2008.

In this capacity, Farrar oversaw DRL's human rights and democracy programs around the world, with a particular focus on Asia and the Western Hemisphere.

[4] Farrar has held a variety of domestic assignments in the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, including service as deputy director of the Office of Andean Affairs and as country desk officer for Argentina.