Background
Verma’s father became a professor of English, specializing in Indian Literature, at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown for 40 years and his late mother, Savitri, was a special needs school teacher.
Verma’s father became a professor of English, specializing in Indian Literature, at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown for 40 years and his late mother, Savitri, was a special needs school teacher.
Richard, the youngest of their five children growing up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, attended public school in the Westmont Hilltop School District.
Verma was previously nominated by President Barack Obama in 2009 to serve as the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs at the United States. Department of State, a position he held until March 2011. Verma began his career as a lawyer with extensive experience in national security and nonproliferation issues. Verma’s parents were born in India and lived through the Partition of India.
Verma graduated from Lehigh University (Bachelor of Science, Industrial Engineering), American University Washington College of Law (Juris Doctor), and Georgetown University (Master of Laws).
Verma began his career in the United States. Air Force as an Air Force judge advocate. Verma subsequently worked as a lawyer at Steptoe & Johnson until he became a senior adviser to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid from 2002 to 2007.
He joined the State Department in 2007 as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs. After leaving the State Department in 2011, he joined the Washington, District of Columbia office of Steptoe & Johnson as a senior counselor
In September 2014 Obama nominated Verma as the next United States. Ambassador to India.
On December 4, 2014, the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations voted to forward Verma"s nomination to the full Senate. On December 9, 2014, the United States. Senate confirmed Verma in a voice vote. Verma presented his credentials to President Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 16, 2015.
Verma is married to Melineh Verma, an attorney.
Prior to relocating to New Delhi, both lived in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, District of Columbia. They have six-year-old twins and a nine-year-old daughter.
At Lehigh, Verma was in Reserve Officers Training Corps, a member of Lambda Chi Alpha and his senior class president In 2008, he was a member of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction proliferation and terrorism, and co-authored World at Risk (2008). He also served as a member of the Secretary of State"s Foreign Affairs Policy Board.