Cretz served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kabul, Afghanistan from 1975-1977, and joined the Department of State in March 1981. His first Foreign Service tour was as General Services Officer and Consular Officer in Islamabad, Pakistan from 1982 until 1984. 

 

He returned to Washington and served one year in the Operations Center and one year as Staff Assistant in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA). From 1986 until 1988, Cretz was a political officer in Damascus, Syria,  which was followed by a tour as a political officer in New Delhi, India from 1988 though 1991.  After leaving India, Cretz served in Tel Aviv for three years where he was responsible for Arab affairs portfolio, including the Gaza Strip.

 

His second Washington assignment was in the Bureau of International Organizations as the officer responsible for Middle East Affairs at the United Nations.  From 1998-2001, he served in Beijing, China, where he was in charge of China's External Affairs portfolio.  In 2001 he transferred to Cairo, Egypt where he served as Minister-Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs. 
He returned to Damascus, Syria in August, 2003 as Deputy Chief of Mission and subsequently served as Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy until January 2004.  Most recently he has been the Deputy Chief of Mission in Tel Aviv from August 2004 until August 2007. 

 

Cretz speaks Dari, Urdu, Arabic and Chinese.  He is married to the former Annette Williams, a registered nurse from Union City, New Jersey.  The couple has two children, Jeffrey and Gabrielle.