H.E.M.Paul Cellucci, Ambassador of the United States of America in Canada played an important political role in the fight against terrorism, and the coordination of Canadian and American policies. He was also an outstanding negotiator supporting NEPAD.

On April 17, 2001, at the Citadelle in Quebec City, Paul Cellucci presented his credentials as the twentieth United States Ambassador to Canada to Governor General Adrienne Clarkson.

Since then, Ambassador Cellucci has focused his Mission Canada Team on the central elements of the huge and dynamic U.S.-Canadian relationship.

To maintain and strengthen the largest trading relationship in the world, Ambassador Cellucci has worked to expedite border crossings for commercial and passenger vehicles, continue the integration of the North American energy market, and help resolve trade disputes.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, defeating the global terrorist threat became the number one priority of both the United States Government and Mission Canada. Security and facilitation were now essential at the U.S./Canada border. Ambassador Cellucci worked directly with Governor Tom Ridge, then Director of Homeland Security, Deputy Prime Minister John Manley, many agencies on both sides of the border, and his Mission Canada Team to create and implement the 30-Point Smart Border Action Plan. The U.S./Canada border is now both more secure than it was in September of 2001, and more facilitating to low-risk traffic.

Paul Cellucci's career in government began in 1970 when he was elected to the Hudson Charter Commission. One year later he won a seat on the Hudson Board of Selectmen and he served on that panel until 1977. In 1976 he was elected to the first of four terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In 1984, Ambassador Cellucci was elected to the Massachusetts Senate from the Middlesex and Worcester District, and during his third and final Senate term became the Assistant Republican Leader.

Paul Cellucci was elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts on a ticket with William Weld in November of 1990, and he and Governor Weld were re-elected in November 1994.

Paul Cellucci became the Governor of Massachusetts in July of 1997 when William Weld resigned the post.

On November 3, 1998, Paul Cellucci was elected the Governor of Massachusetts, where he served until April of 2001, completing 31 years as an elected official in his home state. Ambassador Cellucci received his law degree from Boston College Law School in 1973. In 1970, he graduated from the Boston College School of Management where he served in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). He also served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1970 until 1978, when he was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain. Both natives of Massachusetts, Ambassador Cellucci and his wife Jan have two daughters. Jan served as the Associate University Librarian at Boston College before moving to Canada where she is working on a long-term project with the Canadian Association of Research Libraries. Their daughter Kate graduated from Boston College and Boston College's Lynch Graduate School of Education. She is a middle school science teacher in Massachusetts. Their second daughter Anne graduated from Harvard University. She and her husband, Canadian Craig Adams from Calgary, now live in Raleigh, North Carolina.