Jeffrey Davidow served as Ambassador to Mexico from 1998 to 2002, serving under both Presidents Clinton and Bush. He was Ambassador during the historic election of Vicente Fox as Mexicos president, ending seven decades of one-party rule. In his book entitled The U.S. and Mexico: The Bear and the Porcupine, Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow wrote, I will make this flat statement: No nation in the world has a greater impact on the daily lives of average Americans than Mexico. In his lecture, the Ambassador will expand on that statement. He will speak to the current state of the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico and the reasons for both the interdependence, and the frequent misunderstandings, between the two countries. After serving thirty-four years in the State Department, Davidow retired as Americas highest ranking diplomat, one of only three people to hold the personal rank of Career Ambassador. During his Foreign Service career, Ambassador Davidow focused much of his efforts on improving relations with Latin America. He served in increasingly senior positions in the U.S. embassies in Guatemala, Chile, and Venezuela, and then later returned to Venezuela as Ambassador. He then served as ambassador to Mexico from 1998 to 2002.