The Dow Jones Special Committee, established as part of the acquisition of Dow Jones & Co. by News Corp in late 2007, has elected John F. Tefft to succeed Anne W. Patterson, who has retired from the committee after seven years of service.

Tefft will serve out Ms. Patterson’s term ending Dec. 31, 2027, at which time he would be eligible for reelection to a five-year term.

A retired diplomat, Tefft completed his service as the U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation from 2014 to 2017. He earlier served as ambassador to Lithuania, Georgia and Ukraine. He originally retired from the Foreign Service in September 2013 and served as executive director of RAND Corp.’s U.S.-Russia Business Leaders Forum until 2014 when he was recalled to government service as ambassador to the Russian Federation. Following his stint in Moscow, he has rejoined RAND Corp. as a Senior Fellow.

In October 2023, Tefft received the American Foreign Service Association’s Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy award. He holds a B.A. in history from Marquette University and an M.A. in history from Georgetown University.

The five-person Special Committee is an independent body charged with safeguarding the editorial independence of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones, as well as monitoring their adherence to the highest ethical and professional standards. It operates under an agreement between the former owners of Dow Jones and News Corp, and the committee’s approval is required for the appointments of the Journal’s Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Page Editor.

Other members of the committee include chair Thomas J. Bray, secretary Lou Boccardi, Cynthia Glassman and Larry Ingrassia.

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