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David B. Shear assumed the position of Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala
Lumpur on August 24, 2005.
Mr. Shear joined the Department of State in 1982, and has served overseas in Beijing, Tokyo,
and Sapporo. In Washington he has served in the Department of State's Offices of Chinese, Japanese, and
Korean Affairs and as Special Assistant to the Undersecretary for Political Affairs. Mr. Shear is the
recipient of the Department of State's Superior Honor Award and of the Pentagon's Defense Civilian
Meritorious Service Award.
Mr. Shear is a 1975 graduate of Earlham College. He has a MA in International Relations from
the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies. He has also attended Cornell, Waseda, Taiwan and
Nanjing Universities. He was a Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of
Diplomacy in 1997-98. Mr. Shear speaks Chinese and Japanese. He is married to Barbara Chai Shear, and
they have a daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Shear play golf and squash and they each have a first degree rank in
kendo (Japanese fencing). They also read and enjoy collecting classic and foreign films on DVD.
The Deputy Chief of Mission (or DCM) is the second-ranking official of the United States Government
in Malaysia. He serves as the "Chief Operating Officer" of the U.S. Embassy and is responsible for the
management of the Embassy's day-to-day activities. As the Ambassador's deputy, he can substitute for him,
and speak for him, in all matters. During the Ambassador's absence from post, he officially replaces him
as the senior official of the U.S. Government in Malaysia, serving formally as Charge d'affaires ad
interim of the Embassy
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