Daniel Agranov recently began his post as the Consul of Israel to the Southwest United States. The 35-year-old diplomat began his tenure Aug. 14, taking over from Maya Kadosh, who returned to Israel after serving as Deputy Consul General for the past four years. Agranov arrived in Houston after a three-year post as Israel’s second highest-ranking diplomat in St. Petersburg, Russia, which is the city of his birth. At age 11, he settled with his parents in Tel Aviv. “It’s an honor to represent the State of Israel,” Agranov said. Most recently, he served as Deputy Consul General of Israel to St. Petersburg, Russia. A Consulate he was instrumental in establishing. Prior to this, Agranov worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which included missions to Angola and Kazakhstan. The Russian native holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economy and Biology and a Master of Business degree in Finance and Marketing, both from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.