Christopher W Hodges, former senior advisor in the office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE), assumed the post of Consul General at the US Consulate General in Chennai on Monday.
As the Consul General, Hodges will be responsible for advancing US-India relations in the consular jurisdiction covering Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and the three Union Territories — the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
Prior to his role as senior advisor at CARE, Hodges was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Press and Public Diplomacy and Assistance Coordination in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs as well as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs.
He joined the Foreign Service in 2000 and has served as Public Affairs Officer in Jerusalem; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Accra, Ghana; as well as Deputy Director for Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein in the Office of Central European Affairs.
The Consul General directs the activities of the United States Consulate General in Chennai. The US Consulate in Chennai is one of the top visa adjudication posts in the world, and the number one in processing employment-based visas. The Consulate also provides an array of services to Americans residing or travelling to Chennai.
