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Joseph Zappala

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Joseph Zappala
United States Ambassador to Spain
In office
October 10, 1989 – June 4, 1992
PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush
Preceded byReginald Bartholomew
Succeeded byRichard Goodwin Capen, Jr.
Personal details
Born (1933-09-11) September 11, 1933 (age 91)
New York, U.S.
Alma materNew York Institute of Finance

Joseph Zappala (born September 11, 1933) is an American businessman, investor and politician. He served as the Ambassador to Spain from 1989 to 1992.

Early life and education

Zappala was born in New York on September 11, 1933.[1] He grew up in Florida, and is a graduate from the New York Institute of Finance.[2]

Career

Zappala founded Joseph Zappala Associates. The company has been an operator and investor in different areas including banking interests, real estate and industrial companies in the United States.[2]

Ambassador to Spain

On October 3, 1989 Zappala was approved by the Senate. He was official appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Spain on October 16. He presented his credentials on October 16, 1989 and left his post on June 4, 1992.[2][3][4] His nomination was controversial as he was one of several made by Bush of long-time financial backers and financial supporters including Peter F. Secchia (Ambassador of Italy), Walter Curley (Ambassador of France), Mel Sembler (Ambassador of Australia), Frederic Bush Morris (Ambassador of Luxembourg), and Joy Silverman (Ambassador of Barbados).[5]

Zappala later served as Director of GeoPharma Inc., where he stepped down on December 3, 2004.[6]

Awards

In 1992, he was awarded The Order of Isabella the Catholic Gran Cruz, the highest award ever awarded to a US diplomat by the Kingdom of Spain.[2]

Further affiliations

Zappala was on the board of directors of Straight, Incorporated, a non-profit drug rehabilitation program for teenagers and young adults, which he co-founded in 1976. The program later received harsh criticism for their employment of harmful "behavior modification" techniques like 12-hour confrontational group therapy, beatings and isolation.[7][8]

Zappala served on George Bush’s Presidential campaign and was the National Co-Chairman of Finance for the American Bicentennial Presidential Inaugural. He was a donor to the Republican Party in the 1980s and donated $100,000 to the Bush campaign. He also raised $25 million during his time as Co-Chairman. His donations led to negative press, following his appointment as Ambassador to Spain.[9][10][11][12][13]

In 2008 Zappala was part of a group of 100 former U.S. ambassadors who endorsed John McCain for president.[14]

Zappala serves as Chairman of the Friars Foundation and is a council member and guest speaker at The Wilson Center, the US's key non-partisan policy forum.[15][16][17]

Personal life

Zappala lives in Florida, USA.

References

  1. ^ State, May 1989. United States Department of State. 1989. p. 16. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Joseph Zappala". Council of American Ambassadors. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  3. ^ "Joseph Zappala (1933–)". Office of the Historian. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  4. ^ "PN328 — Joseph Zappala — Department of State". congress.gov. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  5. ^ "True to tradition. President Bush is rewarding his long-time financial backers and political supporters with desirable ambassadorships, mostly in Western Europe". The Financial Times. April 2, 1990.
  6. ^ Zappala, Joseph (December 3, 2004). "Letter of resignation from Ambassador Joseph Zappala". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  7. ^ Szalavitz, Maia. "Bush Administration links between torture, tough love". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2018. May 25, 2011
  8. ^ Sembler, Betty (August 5, 1981). "Thank you for returning my phone call" (PDF). Surviving Straight Inc. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  9. ^ "Republicans Disclose Biggest Donors". The New York Times. November 18, 1988. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  10. ^ Sciolino, Elaine (February 14, 1989). "True to Custom, Bush Appoints Allies as Envoys". The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  11. ^ "Bought, With Sewer Money". The New York Times. February 24, 1989. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  12. ^ Vick, Karl (October 4, 1989). "Zappala confirmed as ambassador to Spain" (PDF). Surviving Straight Inc. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  13. ^ Berke, Richard L. (February 20, 1989). "Ex-Finance Chairman Complains Few Jobs Go to Bush Fund-Raisers". The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  14. ^ Good, Chris (October 8, 2008). "McCain Rolls Out Ambassador Supporters". The Hill. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  15. ^ "Jerry Lewis rushed to hospital". Huffington Post. June 13, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  16. ^ "Guest Speaker Joseph Zappala". Wilson Center. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  17. ^ "Robert De Niro To Receive Friars Club's Highest Honor At October 7th Friars Foundation Gala". PR Newswire Association. June 16, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Spain
1989–1992 		Succeeded by
Richard Goodwin Capen Jr.
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