[3][4] Kirby joined the United States Foreign Service as a Consular Officer in 1979.

His various assignments included Copenhagen, Denmark, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Georgetown, Guyana.

[3] On June 14, 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Kirby to be U.S.

[6] Kirby testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the following month, and assumed the post on September 19, 2012.

[1] He is married to Sara Powelson Kirby and has two daughters – Katherine and Elizabeth.