Home2020 Certificates of Competency for Nominees to be Chiefs of Mission ...Grayson, William Ellison – Republic of Estonia – February 2020 hide Grayson, William Ellison – Republic of Estonia – February 2020 Certificate of Competency February 4, 2020 REPORT FOR THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE SUBJECT: Ambassadorial Nomination: Certificate of Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4) POST: Republic of Estonia CANDIDATE: William Ellison Grayson William E. “Bill” Grayson is a senior financial services executive, lawyer, and public servant. He is currently the National Director – Family Offices of Bernstein Private Wealth Management in San Francisco, California. He has more than two decades of experience in investment, marketing and management positions in large global investment firms and as president of a SEC registered investment adviser. Mr. Grayson also has a long record of public service. He was appointed by President George H. W. Bush to be the Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Army where he oversaw the Army’s 2,700 lawyers. President George W. Bush appointed him as a Commissioner on the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships and then nominated him to the Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board. During the Obama Administration he served as a Regional Panelist for the White House Fellows Commission. He was appointed by President Donald Trump to the Presidio Trust Board of Directors in San Francisco, and was elected Board Chair by his fellow directors. Mr. Grayson’s considerable leadership experience, and familiarity with public policy, finance, defense, and the e-government and technology initiatives so important in Estonia, make him an excellent candidate to serve as Ambassador to that nation. Mr. Grayson has served on numerous boards of trustees and investment committees, including UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC. Mr. Grayson received his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara and his J.D. degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law. He is the recipient of the Outstanding Civilian Service Award from the Secretary of the Army.
