Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Chico has been a diplomat for 26 years and is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service.  His previous assignments include:  Guadalajara, Mexico; Bern, Switzerland; White House Situation Room, Washington, D.C.; Havana, Cuba; Director of the U.S. Regional Embassy Office in Basrah, Iraq; Deputy Economic Counselor in Canberra, Australia; Director of the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) Sections in Panama and Pakistan; Deputy Economic Counselor in Beijing, China; Economic Counselor at U.S. Embassy Bogota, Colombia; and most recently Director for Western Hemisphere Strategy at the National Security Council.  Chico also served in the U.S. Army for over 22 years, on active duty and as a reservist, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  He received a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a Masters in International Economic Policy from Columbia University.  His languages include Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, and Chinese.  His wife Debra is also a Foreign Service Officer and they have two daughters.