Connect with a Diplomat Contact List

Diplomats in Residence (DIRs) are career Foreign Service Officers who are located throughout the United States and responsible for providing guidance and advice to students, professionals and the community about Department careers. DIRs are available to answer questions and share insight with those interested in Foreign and Civil Service careers, internships and fellowships.

Please take the time to get to know our site. When you’re ready, contact a DIR closest to your geographic location who will answer your questions. You can also find local events under the Connect section.

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    Sherry Zalika Sykes, Diplomat in Residence Allegheny
    ( OH, PA, WV)

    Region: OH, PA, WV
    Affiliate Universities: University of Pittsburgh
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Lagos, Nigeria; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Durban, South Africa; Bureau of Oceans, and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs; Maputo, Mozambique; Una Chapman Cox Sabbatical Fellow based at Yale University; OES Office of Conservation and Water; Office of Global Talent Management; Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate; OES Office of Environmental Quality
    Career Track: Management
    Years of Service: 24+
    Prior Experience: USAID Tanzania; Executive Director of a Community Development Corporation in Northern California; Director of STEM Education programs in Northern California; Director of municipal housing programs and active in local and regional leadership and civic development initiatives
    Languages: Kiswahili and Portuguese
    Education: MPA from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government; Bachelor’s degrees in African and Afro-American Studies and International Relations from Stanford University
    Interesting Experience: My most intense and exciting experience happened in 2010 when I led the USG’s international campaign to respond to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The spill occurred only in US waters, and while our domestic response was massive, it was insufficient to the task.  We needed international support to cap the well and to protect beaches, wetlands and estuaries from the spreading oil. Human expertise as well as supplies and equipment such as skimmer ships, boom of various types and dispersant needed to be located and facilitated to the area of operation.  I served as the Department of State representative on the National Response Team – the USG-wide body hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency charged with managing all man-made disasters. It was my role to elicit and coordinate the needed international resources to address the spill and keep the White House, the Coast Guard-led Task Force and senior Department Officials and spokesperson fully briefed so that they could in turn keep the American people informed. The Department did not yet recognize this domestic disaster as an international affairs matter, so did not stand up a normal Operations Center Task Force. Instead, I had to assemble an ad hoc team to work nearly around the clock for 87 days to find solutions to urgent and unprecedented problems occurring at the bottom of the sea, on its surface, and as each day progressed, increasingly on shore. The international spill response community was challenged by this tragic event which sparked action to improve policy and science to help the global community prepare for future oil spills. As a result, in the immediate aftermath we focused on developing needed policies such as a policy for arctic oil spill cooperation, a policy for the Department’s response to domestic disasters, and undertaking an oil spill exercise in the Puget Sound with our Canadian counterparts and numerous international observers to engage with the lessons America learned from Deepwater Horizon.
    Last Post: OES – Director of the Office of Environmental Quality
    Why I chose a Foreign Service Career: I decided to join the Foreign Service because I wanted to give myself and my family the opportunity to work and live overseas within an organization where I could build a career and my family would be provided with good housing and educational opportunities. I had worked overseas as an independent contractor and loved the work, but I did not enjoy the difficulties of setting up house and home including locating (and paying for) the right schools for my children. (I had three ages 5, 11 and 13 when I first moved overseas.) I immediately found the opportunities afforded by working with the Department of State to be exactly what I wanted: intellectual stimulation; the chance to develop and contribute to goals I wanted to achieve; and good living and educational conditions for my family.

     

    Susan Wong, Diplomat in Residence Northern and Central California
    (CA)

    Region: Northern and Central California
    Affiliate Universities: University of California, Berkeley (AANAPISI eligible)
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Embassy Singapore, Singapore (Consular Officer); Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Consular Officer); Consulate General Istanbul, Turkey (General Services Officer); Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Management Officer); Washington, D.C. (multiple roles); Embassy Riga, Latvia (Management Officer)
    Career Track: Management
    Years of Service: 21 years with the Foreign Service
    Prior Experience: Management Consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers (now PwC), Business Analyst
    Languages: Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin dialects), Vietnamese, Turkish, Latvian
    Education: Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Brown University; Graduate Program in International Affairs, The New School.
    Interesting Experience: Each overseas assignment has brought a wealth of memories and adventures. Whether riding a motorbike across fields of rice paddies or waiting on the airport runway at 2am for the Secretary’s arrival, I cannot describe a typical day over the past 20 years. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine living in Istanbul for three years, traveling around Vietnam, Southeast Asia and Europe. As a major foodie, I have sampled a wide range of Turkish cuisine, explored the various food markets in Southeast Asian and enjoyed the tasty treats in many European holiday markets.
    Last Post: Embassy Riga, Latvia/td>
    Why I Chose a Foreign Service Career: The Foreign Service offers the best blend of overseas life and government service. I found the nexus to apply my private sector experience with my interests on global issues and world affairs. The path was not direct. A college classmate planted the seed of the Foreign Service during my senior year in college. At the same time, I found great joy in learning a foreign language in college and I steered my career path away from medicine. My family immigrated to the United States when I was young and working for the U.S. Department of State is my way to give back to the country that rewarded me with education and boundless opportunities.

     

    Dara Yin, Diplomat in Residence Northwest
    (AK, OR, WA)

    Region: Northwest
    Affiliate Universities: University of Washington
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Skopje, North Macedonia (Information Management Specialist); New Delhi, India (Vice Consul); Bogota, Colombia (Political Officer); Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (Bulgaria and Romania Desk Officer); Marine Corps Command and Staff College (Long-Term Training and Exchange); Hanoi, Vietnam (Political Officer); Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (Maritime Security and China Program Officer); Warsaw, Poland (Deputy Political Counselor).
    Career Track: Political (former Information Management Specialist)
    Years of Service: 20
    Prior Experience: I was enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantry soldier. I then worked as an applications developer for Multnomah County, Oregon, before joining the Foreign Service.
    Languages: Spanish, Vietnamese, and Polish.
    Education:Bachelor’s degree in information systems from Portland State University. Master’s degree in security policy studies from the George Washington University and master’s degree in military studies from the Marine Corps University.
    Interesting Experience: When I was a Political Officer in Hanoi, Vietnam, I frequently traveled through the Central Highlands to manage U.S. programs to remove unexploded bombs from the Vietnam War. Instead of bitterness against the United States for this unfortunate legacy of war, the people in the villages were warm, welcoming, and focused on the future. The hospitality put forth by the farmers and village leaders was amazing. I will never forget the large feasts of wonderful food and exchanging ideas with the Vietnamese people. Building bridges like this is a quintessential and rewarding part of a career in the Foreign Service. It was also an opportunity to see how the U.S. helped create a new future for these farmers. We watched as organizations cleared bombs from farmland and then farmers planted peppercorn trees and built new buildings on top of the newly safe lands, such as schools and town centers. I then planted a memorial tree in honor of my visit and new friendships that will grow over generations.
    Last Post: Deputy Political Counselor, Warsaw, Poland.
    Why I chose a Foreign Service Career: Since high school, I dreamed of a career that would allow me to serve a country that presented such great opportunities for happiness and prosperity for my family, while taking me abroad to novel places. I didn’t know much about the Foreign Service growing up in the era before the internet, so started by enlisting in the U.S. Army. I was stationed in then Fort Lewis, Washington, only two hours up Interstate 5 from my hometown Portland, Oregon. After leaving the Army and graduating from college, I tried again by applying for the Foreign Service. Fortunately, I was successful and started down a rewarding and exciting career path. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I am also proudly and humbly following in my father’s footsteps. He worked as a local staff member for the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, before the end of the Vietnam War.

     

    Katelyn Choe, Diplomat in Residence Southern California
    (Southern CA, HI, American Samoa, Guam, CNMI)

    Region: Southern California
    Affiliate Universities: University of California-Los Angeles (AANAPISI)
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: South Korea, The Netherlands, Washington DC, Afghanistan, Nepal, New Zealand
    Career Track: Management
    Years of Service: 24
    Prior Experience: I often joke I have no other transferrable job skills since I joined the Foreign Service immediately after finishing graduate school as a Thomas R. Pickering Fellow. State Department was my first and the only job I’ve ever had as an adult! I thought I wanted to be a teacher at an urban public school and inspire a lifelong love of learning and enable students to become powerful and thoughtful leaders for their community. But the Pickering Fellowship provided me an opportunity to pursue a career in diplomacy, something I could not have imagined for myself, and engage with the world as my classroom. The Pickering Fellowship provides a scholarship to finance graduate programs to those interested in pursuing a diplomatic career. Based on the fundamental principle that diversity is a strength in our diplomatic efforts, the program values varied backgrounds, including ethnic, racial, social, and geographic diversity. You can learn more about the program here: https://pickeringfellowship.org/
    Languages: Korean
    Education: Bryn Mawr College (B.A. in Chemistry and English), Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs (M.A. in International Affairs)
    Interesting Experience: My first overseas diplomatic assignment was at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea – interestingly, the very same Embassy where my parents and I had gone to interview for our Immigrant Visa when I was nine years old. It was a humbling experience to return years later and to stand on the other side of the visa window. I remembered the waiting room (it looked the same!!) and how nervous we were and the devastated look on my mom’s face when we were denied the first time because she had forgotten to bring her medical records. So, when I interviewed the applicants, I recalled my own personal experience and approached each person with due respect and care as though they were my first and only interview for the day. Throughout my career, I have tried to weave humanity and compassion into all that I do by asking, how can I be of help? How can I make this a better experience?
    Last Post: Seoul, South Korea
    Why I chose a Foreign Service Career: I chose a career in the Foreign Service because I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself and make a lasting, positive impact on a larger scale. I believe the United States has an immense responsibility and capacity to use our position of influence to pursue just and mutually beneficial solutions to some of the world’s intractable challenges. Diplomacy was once described by Henry Kissinger as “the patient accumulation of partial successes”. That resonates deeply and it has sustained me over the years. In diplomacy, success is not a zero-sum game; the incompleteness of partial successes means there is always room for more learning and that – at least to me – feels more expansive and sustainable. As my computer screen saver, I have a photo of a cruise ship in the distance, its front nose appearing in between office buildings. It’s from my tour at the U.S. Consulate in New Zealand (and yes, New Zealand is all that and more!) and serves as a reminder about why I chose a career in the Foreign Service. Because the Consulate is located near a seaport, we often heard cruise ships sounding their horns before making a turn to head to their next destination. I’d see its nose sticking out in between the buildings but even after much time had passed, I’d look up from my desk and would be surprised to still see it there. Eventually, the massive ship does turn and head to where it needs to go, bringing with it all the passengers at once. At its core, diplomacy work is an endurance test. But there have been moments in my career when I wished I was on a jet ski or a turbo motorboat and make that swift turn to do the right thing. But I always come back to wanting to be part of a bigger enterprise in the business of bringing as many people to come on board and help direct our path to get to where we need to go and together.

     

    Antoinette Hurtado, Diplomat in Residence Southwest
    (NV, AZ, NM)

    Region: Southwest
    Affiliate Universities: University of New Mexico
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Canberra, Australia (Political and Consular Officer); Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Consular Officer); Watch Officer with the Bureau of Intelligence and Research; Advance Officer for the U.S. Secretary of State; Kabul, Afghanistan (Public Diplomacy Officer); Rome, Italy (Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See); Acting Office Director in the formerly-named Bureau of International Information Programs’ Office of Public Engagement; Eagleburger Fellow in the Marketing Department of José Andrés’ restaurant company, ThinkFoodGroup; Public Diplomacy Instructor at the Foreign Service Institute
    Career Track: Public Diplomacy
    Years of Service: 17+
    Prior Career: I joined the State Department right out of grad school as a recipient of the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship. The Fellowship selects talented young people from underrepresented groups to pursue a career in the Department’s Foreign Service.
    Languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
    Education: Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, Master in Public Policy from Harvard University.
    Interesting Experience: When I was the Public Affairs Officer (head of the public affairs section) at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See (Vatican), I got to meet and shake hands with the Pope! Pope Francis had just been elected a few months before I arrived at post and at my first official Vatican function, I got to meet him. Being raised Catholic, this was a big moment for me and my family. Oddly enough, that first official Vatican event I went to was part of a celebration of Wisconsin-based motorcycle company Harley-Davidson’s 110th anniversary. The company gifted the Vatican police force two white motorcycles. The Pope, me, and a hog – who could have imagined that photo op! I met the Pope several more times over the course of that assignment and I had the chance to work with the Vatican, NGOs, and other religious organizations to advance important global issues such as combatting trafficking in persons, advancing human rights, and promoting care for the environment.
    Last Post: Last overseas assignment was as head of the public diplomacy section at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See; last domestic assignment was as an instructor on public diplomacy at our Department training facility (the Foreign Service Institute)
    Why I Chose a Foreign Service Career: History was my favorite subject in high school and I loved looking at all the pictures of historic places in those books. I yearned to visit them and learn more about other peoples and cultures and places, but never had the resources to travel. So when I heard at an information session about the Foreign Service while I was an undergrad student at Georgetown that I could get paid to travel the world, I was definitely intrigued! I also felt strongly about public service and making a positive impact on the world, making life a little more peaceful and prosperous for all global citizens. And I wanted to be a different face of America, both to those overseas who only thought Americans were people they saw in movies and on TV and to young people back home who might not have seen people who look like them in these positions or who might not have thought this career and life were possible unless you came from a certain background. This career has been the adventure of a lifetime. I’m so glad I chose this “road less traveled by”; it truly has made all the difference.

     

    Denver Herren Diplomat in Residence Rocky Mountains
    (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

    Region: Rocky Mountains
    Affiliate Universities: University of Denver
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Port-au-Prince, Haiti (Vice Consul); Muscat, Oman (Human Resources and Financial Management Officer); Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (Management Officer); Lusaka Zambia (Management Officer); Baghdad, Iraq (Regional Management Officer); Wellington, New Zealand (Management Counselor); Brussels, Belgium (Deputy Director Joint Administrative Support); Baghdad, Iraq (Director of Contract Management Office); Nassau, The Bahamas (Management Counselor); Washington, DC (Supervisory Post Management Officer); Baghdad, Iraq (Management Counselor).
    Career Track: Management
    Years of Service:  23
    Prior Career: Before joining the service, I was a bit of an aimless wanderer. I worked a variety of jobs, including as a welder, a bar manager, and a foreman on an Alaskan floating fish processor. While working on my masters, I taught entry level university classes on political science, served as a police officer, and ran a congressional campaign.
    Languages French, Haitian Creole
    Education: BA in Political Science and a MA in American Studies from Northeastern State University (NSU) in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
    Interesting Experience:   In 20 plus years, this job never gets old! Most employees will have amazing stories about helping people in crisis. I certainly do. It is the nature of our jobs. For me though, the experiences that stand out are the places I have had the privilege to visit. Whether it was seeing the ancient architecture carved out of the mountains at Petra, exploring the ruins of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, experiencing the raw power of Victoria Falls, or walking the hallowed WW II battlefields near Bastogne and visiting the Guadalcanal Memorial in the Solomon Islands, this life has afforded me opportunities unlike any other. However, New Zealand, more than others, sticks in my mind. We were taking a quick family trip from Wellington to the South Island. It is a short ferry ride and then you can use your own car to travel further down the island. As we were traveling back, a very nice local we were chatting with suggested a quick stop that was on our way. We pulled off at an unassuming spot along the highway and followed an unmarked trail under the railroad tracks and along a flowing stream. Several hundred yards up this path, we arrived at a beautiful waterfall with an idyllic pool at its base. New Zealand has a fair number of waterfalls, but this one was special because the pool was filled with young seal pups splashing and playing. It seems that while the mother seals are at sea hunting, the pups make their way up the stream to hang out. With no protective mothers around, you can have some great quality time with these wonderful creatures. It has been over ten years now since I was last there and somehow remembering that spot still has a calming effect on me.
    Last Post: Management Counselor, Baghdad, Iraq
    Why I Chose a Foreign Service Career:  As I mentioned before, I was a bit of a wanderer before joining the Foreign Service. I would do a job for a few years and then lose interest. I needed a new challenge. I needed something fresh. The greatest problem with changing jobs often is loss of equity with your employer (never being able to build consistently for retirement). The Department of State gave me the balance between fresh challenges and stability; a luxury to build towards security in retirement. Every few years, we change jobs. We have the chance to keep doing the same work, but we move to a new country. Or we try something totally different in a new location. To me, it is this freedom to reinvent myself every few years that really hooked me. I have a clean slate each time but can keep the parts of me that worked at my last post and discard the elements that were less successful. In traditional settings, none of your history and baggage ever really goes away.

     

    Daniel A. Stewart Diplomat in Residence Texas
    (TX)

    Region: Texas
    Affiliate Universities: University of Texas at Austin (HSI) and University of Texas at Dallas
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Bamako, Mali (Consular/Political Officer); Pretoria, South Africa (Assistant Information Officer); Washington, D.C. (Desk Officer for Haiti); Washington, D.C. (Foreign Service Recruiter); Washington, D.C. (Branch Chief for Student Programs—Civil Service); Washington, D.C. (Public Diplomacy Desk Officer for Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan); Brussels, Belgium (Assistant Public Affairs Advisor, USNATO); Recife, Brazil (Public Affairs Officer); Baghdad, Iraq (Cultural Affairs Officer); Ottawa, Canada (Cultural Affairs Officer)
    Career Track: Public Diplomacy
    Years of Service: 23
    Prior Experience: The U.S. Foreign Service was my first and has been my only real job! But I like to remind people that the Foreign Service is looking at the total package of a candidate and what you can bring to the career. French language skills learned to communicate with francophone family members served me well in my first assignment. A college internship with a PR firm helped me develop media relations skills. Critical thinking and strong writing skills honed in undergrad and graduate school formed the bedrock of the skills set which diplomats use most…written communication, which we use to inform, influence, and convey America’s foreign policy priorities within the Department and to our host countries. Just as important as my understanding of world affairs was my years of training and performance as a singer which helped me to share some of the richest aspects of what it means to be an American, our culture.
    Languages: French, Portuguese
    Education: BA in English from Morehouse College; Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
    Interesting Experience: Asking a Foreign Service Officer to choose one interesting experience to encapsulate their career is like asking a parent to choose which child they love best. Over the course of my career, living and working in six countries (seven including the U.S.!) on five continents, I’ve had too many amazing experiences to count. I knew I had chosen the right career when on my first assignment as a Consular Officer in Bamako, Mali I was sent solo into the Sahel to monitor elections taking place in the fabled city of Timbuktu. At the end of the first day, a local guide invited me to have dinner with his family on the roof of his house. He wanted to know what I, an American diplomat, thought of his city, his country, and his people. Beneath the stars, fed and cared for by complete strangers in one of the world’s most remote locations, I reflected on the pride I saw in the faces of the voters, on our responsibilities and our rights as citizens in a democracy, and the importance of the role I had taken on as representative of the United States of America. I was there to support people freely exercising a right that I cherished, the right to vote. And I realized that in other parts of the world what the United States “thinks” and does matters, even to the man on the street. I felt grateful to my hosts and immensely proud of my country and career choice. I have felt and savored those same emotions every day of my career. While helping to launch the President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief in South Africa, working across agencies to support stability in Haiti, and coordinating the voices of America’s closest allies to challenge Russia’s first illegal invasion of the Ukraine in 2014 while serving at NATO. During moments of crisis, helping frightened American’s stranded abroad during the early days of the pandemic to return home to their loved ones. Whether singing the “Star Spangled Banner” at the July 4th celebration in Recife, or “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at the U.S. Embassy to Canada’s first official celebration of America’s newest federal holiday, Juneteenth. No matter where I’m assigned, I’m always grateful and reminded that we are guests in the countries in which we serve. And I remain proud to represent the United States at home and abroad.
    Last Post: Cultural Affairs Officer, Ottawa, Canada
    Why I Chose a Foreign Service Career: In many ways, the Foreign Service chose me. I never connected the dots of my life, interests, and experiences to a career, until someone took the time to lay it out for me. Like many, I had heard the term “Ambassador” on the news in reference to world events, but never met one, nor did I have any understanding of what a diplomat did. While pursuing an English degree in undergrad, a chance encounter with an Alumni familiar with the Foreign Service opened my eyes. I told him I had family from the French West Indies I had just visited, that I was excited by international travel, and I was pursuing French as a second language. I explained I had been active in Model U.N. and German exchange in high school. I spoke of my interest in public service, described my strong belief in giving back to my country and community, and noted I was participating in AmeriCorps. And I talked about my love of writing and American literature, especially African American literature, and how important culture and expression was to telling the story of a people. He said, “You sound like a diplomat.” In my work as a Diplomat-in-Residence, I hope to help others connect the dots. And with over 23 years experience, having served in the Foreign Service and Civil Service, I have a strong understanding of the many different pathways to service available to American citizens of all backgrounds and skill sets.

     

    Shane Hough, Diplomat in Residence Central South
    (AR, LA, MS, OK)

    Region: Central South
    Affiliate Universities:Tulane University, Southern University and A&M College (HBCU), and University of Oklahoma
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Consulate General Guayaquil, Ecuador (Consular Officer); Embassy San Salvador, El Salvador (Consular Officer); Embassy Guatemala City, Guatemala (Economic Officer); Washington, D.C. (Desk Officer for Peru); Embassy Asuncion, Paraguay (Chief of Political and Economic Affairs / Acting DCM); Embassy Tegucigalpa, Honduras (Director for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement); Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (Analyst)
    Career Track: Economics
    Years of Service:17+ with the Foreign Service; 4 with the Civil Service
    Prior Career: Mechanical Engineer for a manufacturing firm, Legislative Assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives, Peace Corps Volunteer (Tanzania), Presidential Management Fellow – U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
    Languages: Spanish, Swahili
    Education: BS in Mechanical Engineering – Louisiana Tech University; MS in International Development Management – American University
    Interesting Experience: There’s really no typical day in the Foreign Service, and I have had plenty of memorable experiences – from monitoring tense election polling centers in rural Guatemala during presidential elections to being accidentally tear-gassed while helping defuse a constitutional crisis in Paraguay to providing equipment that allowed the Honduran Police to crack a cocaine smuggling ring – no two overseas assignments are alike. One of my favorite experiences was as the Environment Officer for Embassy Guatemala City. Northern Guatemala’s Peten region is not only one of the most significant ancient Mayan territories but also one of the most dynamic Central American biodiversity hotspots under threat of deforestation from illegal logging. I had the opportunity to join a survey flight over the western Peten to document NGO progress in preventing illegal logging and reforesting large swathes of jungle along the Mexico / Guatemala border. I’ll never forget the experience – small Cessna, 1,500 feet above the jungle, NO doors – and then seeing the tip of the newly discovered El Mirador pyramid peeking above the canopy – a sight very few people have ever been lucky enough to see.
    Last Post:Embassy Tegucigalpa, Honduras
    Why I chose a Foreign Service Career: I am strongly committed to public service and feel blessed to be a U.S. Citizen. I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in East Africa, and upon returning home, I looked for a career in which I could continue to be of service to the American people and travel overseas. I knew very little about the Department of State or the Foreign Service. I pursued a career in international development thinking the only way to do international humanitarian work was to join a non-governmental organization. During graduate school I discovered the Presidential Management Fellowship and joined the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration as the Civil Servant refugee assistance officer for East Africa. I wanted to live and work primarily overseas, however, and that Civil Service experience led me to ultimately sit for the Foreign Service assessment and join the Foreign Service four years later.

     

    Sara Veldhuizen Stealy, Diplomat in Residence Central
    (IA, KS, MO, NE, ND, SD)

    Region: Central
    Affiliate Universities: Washington University in St. Louis (AANAPISI Eligible)
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Lusaka, Zambia (Deputy Public Affairs Officer); Riga, Latvia (Consular and Political-Economic Officer rotation); Bureau of Consular Affairs (Global New Media Advisor); Accra, Ghana (Information Officer); Vilnius, Lithuania (Public Affairs Officer)
    Career Track: Public Diplomacy
    Years of Service: 16
    Prior Career: I’ve worked in the front office for two Minor League Baseball teams, as a meeting services manager at a hotel, and as a marketing manager for a national accounting/consulting firm.
    Languages: Latvian, Lithuanian and French
    Education: Bachelor’s degrees in theatre/speech and communications from Northwestern College of Iowa
    Interesting Experience: When I was studying Latvian at the Foreign Service Institute, we would frequently watch Latvian news and TV shows and — most importantly — we would sing pop songs at the end of each day. One day the deputy chief of mission mused, “When we get to Riga, we should throw a party and invite all these people who ‘helped’ us learn Latvian.” That’s exactly what we did, although we weren’t sure if anyone would show up. To our delight, actors, newscasters and singers all came to hear the American diplomats speak in their beloved Latvian language. A music producer who had helped us invite many of the singers told us that she was also the producer of the Latvian equivalent of the Grammys, and she would love it if we would give the award for Best Song at the ceremony the next month. I penned a song-and-dance shtick that incorporated songs my colleagues and I had learned in class, and we performed it on live national television from the stage of the Latvian National Opera. The response was phenomenal. To be clear, we were not good. We overlooked the fact that none of us could sing. But we touched hearts in a way that earned us a tremendous amount of good will as we went on to pursue our policy goals. I am a firm believer in the importance of reaching people in their own language. Two years later, near the end of my tour, Latvians would still come up to me and say they remembered seeing us on stage. My favorite? The woman who exclaimed, “I remember you! That was so nice. Such bad singing, but such good feeling.”
    Last Post: Public Affairs Officer, Vilnius, Lithuania
    Why I chose a Foreign Service Career: As the daughter of a postmaster, I grew up seeing how proud my dad was of the service he provided to his fellow citizens. My parents were adamant about voting and being involved in the community, and while we didn’t travel internationally, they nurtured a desire to experience new places through numerous road trips across the United States. I had a vague sense that we had embassies overseas; when I studied abroad in college, I had seen the U.S. ambassador at an event once. But I had no idea who worked in embassies or what they did. Then one day I read an interview with Secretary of State Colin Powell and I learned there was a place for someone like me in the Foreign Service —a career that would combine service to country with travel and my love of words, writing and speaking. I enjoy analyzing local audiences, culture and history and working out how to reach them, what will resonate with them. When I’m describing my job, I tell people that the ultimate goal, of course, would be that I explain U.S. policy and they all say, “That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard. I totally agree.” But since that’s not realistic, what I want is for them to understand us. They still may not agree, but if they understand us, we can have a conversation, we can build trust and start forming relationships.

     

    Susan Falatko, Diplomat in Residence Midwest
    (IA, MN, WI)

    Region: Midwest
    Affiliate Universities: University of Illinois-Chicago (AANAPISI and HSI)
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Deputy Chief of Mission/Chargéd’Affaires Ljubljana, Slovenia; Director of the Office of South Central Europe (Western Balkans), Washington; Graduate Student at the Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Washington; Deputy Chief of Mission Port Louis, Mauritius; Public Affairs Officer Kigali, Rwanda; Multilateral Affairs Officer Geneva, Switzerland; Economic Officer Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; OSCE Desk Officer, Washington; Economic Officer Havana, Cuba; Economic and Consular Officer Bamako, Mali.
    Career Track: Economic Officer
    Years of Service: 23
    Prior Career: Teacher of English as a Second Language
    Languages: French, Spanish, Serbo-Croatian (sort of…)
    Education: M.S. in National Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School at National Defense University (2017); M.A. in International Relations from the George Washington University (1997);B.S. in Psychology from the University of Iowa (1990).
    Interesting Experience: Where to start? From the serious to the ridiculous, every day on this job brings something interesting and new. From rescuing four abducted American citizen children in my first tour as a Consular officer to trying to figure out how to find pretzels in West Africa for a visiting Secretary of State; swapping t-shirts with one of Fidel Castro’s security thugs at a rally in Havana to having my fortune read by a Santería priest; being present in Srebrenica to honor the victims of the 1995 genocide to playing softball (very carefully) in a formerly mine-strewn field; visiting the magnificent gorillas in Rwanda to dealing with the embassy walk-in of a wanted war criminal; successfully helping us get a more secure embassy building to celebrating Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Buddhist holidays with staff in Mauritius; witnessing the end of a 27-year long bilateral feud between Greece and North Macedonia over the latter country’s name; meeting dissidents, presidents, prime ministers; visiting assistance projects that make real differences in people’s lives; marching in Pride parades; supporting women’s empowerment; this list could go on and on. I look forward to sharing my stories with you.
    Last Post: Deputy Chief of Mission in Ljubljana, Slovenia
    Why I chose a Foreign Service Career: I first went overseas to teach English as a second language in 1992, starting in Tokyo, then followed by stints in Bangkok and Prague. I loved the thrill of learning new cultures and languages and realized I wanted to find a job that would enable me to continue doing this. The Foreign Service, with its many career tracks, certainly fit the bill, so I took the Foreign Service exam. Best decision of my life!

     

    Ken Roy, Diplomat in Residence North Central
    (IN, KY, MI, TN)

    <td”>Education: BA from Michigan State University, JD from Wayne State Law School, MA in International Security Studies from the National Defense University at Fort McNair

    Region: North Central
    Affiliate Universities: University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Belize City, Belize; Panama City, Panama; Department of State Operations Center – The Watch; Senior UK Desk Officer; EUR Front Office; The Hague, Netherlands; Department of State Operations Center – Crisis Management Coordinator; Asuncion, Paraguay; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Foreign Policy Advisor Air Force Special Operations Command; National Defense University; Department of State Board of Assessors.
    Career Track: Political Officer
    Years of Service: 26
    Prior Career: Lawyer
    Languages: Spanish, basic Dutch, basic German
    Interesting Experience: While assigned as the head of the combined Political, Economic, Commercial, and Anti-Narcotics Office at U.S. Embassy Paraguay, I helped guide local partners through what was commonly known as that country’s “bloodless coup”. This required being empowered by higher-ups in the embassy and in Washington; patience and faith in local partners; diligence; smart risk-management and a sound ability to explain actions and what was happening on the ground to audiences far afield; discretion about what to report and when; preparation and a broad network on contacts on the ground; and no small measure of luck.
    Last Post: State Department Board of Assessors
    Why I chose the Foreign Service:Throughout my life, I have felt a strong compulsion to serve my country and a desire to confront injustice wherever it reared its ugly head. The Foreign Service offered a perfect avenue to do both. Being an FSO has been a tough but rewarding job that has given me much in the way of fulfilling experiences. I cannot imagine myself doing anything else!

     

    Andrei Cotton, Diplomat in Residence South
    (AL, GA, SC)

    Region: South
    Affiliate Universities: Spelman College (HBCU) and Morehouse College (HBCU)
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Juba, South Sudan (Political-Economic Counselor); Islamabad, Pakistan (Counterterrorism Unit Chief); Washington, DC (Project Manager at the National HUMINT Requirements Tasking Center); Washington, DC (Deputy Director of the Counterterrorism Bureau Office of Terrorist Screening and Interdiction); Lilongwe, Malawi (Political Section Chief); Dhaka, Bangladesh (Political-Military Officer); Nairobi, Kenya (Regional Counterterrorism Coordinator); Islamabad, Pakistan (Political Officer); Sao Paulo, Brazil (Consular Officer); Bogota, Colombia (Consular Officer)
    Career Track: Economic
    Years of Service: 19
    Prior Career: My first career was as a sales and marketing specialist for agricultural chemical manufacturers Dow AgroSciences and Bayer Crop Science.
    Languages: Spanish, Portuguese
    Education: Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from Tuskegee University; Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business and Economics from Auburn University
    Interesting Experience: Preventing terrorists from crossing international borders and playing a role in bringing an FBI Most Wanted criminal to justice.
    Last Post: Juba, South Sudan (Political-Economic Counselor)
    Why I chose the Foreign Service: I was always interested in learning about the world and working internationally but I had no idea how to do it.  My initial plan was to leverage a career in the agribusiness industry to work internationally based on the logic that “everybody has to eat.”  As my desire to explore the world grew, I decided to resign from my corporate job to become a Peace Corps Volunteer (Ecuador 1998 – 2000) .  In Ecuador, I met the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy who was a black man from my home state of Georgia and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.  We had a conversation about State Department careers, and I was hooked.  Becoming a Foreign Service Officer changed the trajectory of my life and has been a non-stop adventure.

     

    Jacqueline “Jackie” Fields, Diplomat in Residence Florida
    (FL, PR, USVI)

    Region: Florida
    Affiliate Universities:Florida International University (HSI), Miami Dade College (HSI), Florida A&M University (HBCU)
    Tours: Islamabad, Pakistan (Senior Human Resources Officer); Mexico City, Mexico (Senior Human Resources Officer); Kabul, Afghanistan (Senior Human Resources Officer); Global Talent Management’s Talent Acquisition, Recruitment Office in Washington, DC (Recruiter); Under Secretary for Management’s Office in Washington, DC (Special Assistant); Bureau of African Affairs in Washington, DC (Senior Assignments Officer/Deputy of AF/EX HR Office); Vienna, Austria (Senior Human Resources Officer); Kabul, Afghanistan (Human Resources Officer); Bangkok, Thailand (Deputy Human Resources Officer); Doha, Qatar (Human Resources Officer)
    Career Track: Human Resources
    Years of Service: 14
    Prior Experience: Prior to starting the Foreign Service in 2009, I worked with a myriad of non-profit, for-profit, and faith-based organizations that served as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) implementing partners overseas.  I led institutions with Human Resources practices, general operations, and contracting work.  To name a few, at Futures Group International, I staffed and established operational structures overseas in support of the Policy Project—a multi-year million-dollar program focused on maternal/child health, reproductive health practices, family planning resources, and combatting HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination.  At World Vision, I helped create and staff overseas offices and projects across Africa. Prior to my professional experiences, I served as a volunteer in Bouake, Cote D’Ivoire, working for Opportunities Industrialization Center on women in development and reproductive health/maternal child health projects.
    Languages: Spanish
    Education: Bachelor of Arts (BA) International Business from University of Vermont and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Jackson State University (Historically Black College and University)
    Interesting Experience: Over the course of a 14-year career in the United States Foreign Service, I have undertaken a remarkable journey that spans hemispheres, continents, countries, and cultures, shaping me into an experienced HR professional with an inclusionary perspective. With my most recent assignment as a Senior HR Officer in Islamabad, Pakistan, I solidified my expertise in managing intricate HR operations within one of the world’s most demanding HR platforms and, as such, I contributed to an important bi-lateral relationship for the United States Government. I guided and provided HR expertise to a workforce that comprised over 2,000 individuals from various backgrounds, including American, local, and temporary duty staff spread across four locations. I created a unified “one mission HR service platform” and harmonized HR services across 16 U.S. Government agencies.  Previously, I served as the Senior HR Officer for Mission Mexico leading a team of 46 Talent Management staff managing the HR needs of 3,000 people.  Throughout this journey, I consistently demonstrated my commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive workforces, a crucial aspect of my role.
    Last Post: Senior HR Officer in Islamabad, Pakistan

    Why I Chose a Foreign Service Career: My passion for international affairs and HR was ignited early in my career while working with Partners of the Americas, an NGO partnering the State of Vermont with the country of Honduras. This experience, funded by USAID, involved managing training agendas, staffing, and logistics for a program that brought together farmers from Honduras. It was during this time that I realized my enthusiasm for learning cultural norms, studying local labor laws, and crafting compensation plans that benefit employees. My journey into the Foreign Service has been propelled by the unique opportunities it offers. It is not merely a career; it is a vocation that allows me to work in over 200 countries, immerse myself in diverse languages and cultures, call foreign lands home, and make a world of difference. This is why I chose a Foreign Service career, and it continues to be a source of inspiration and motivation in my professional life. 

    With a BA in International Business from the University of Vermont and an MBA from Jackson State University, I bring a robust educational foundation to complement my extensive practical experience. Prior to my Foreign Service career, I worked with a wide array of non-profit, for-profit, and faith-based organizations, collaborating with USAID as implementing partners overseas. 

    In summary, my journey through the Foreign Service has been marked by a profound dedication to HR excellence, a passion for international engagement and diplomacy, and a relentless pursuit of diversity and inclusion in the workforce.  As I reflect on my career trajectory, I am eager to continue contributing my skills and expertise to the ever-evolving challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the global labor market. 

     

    Stephanie Hutchison, Diplomat in Residence Mid-Atlantic
    (NC, VA)

    Region:Mid-Atlantic
    Affiliate Universities: UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (Consular and Economic Officer), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Political Officer), Office of Southern European Affairs (Turkey Desk Officer), Rabat, Morocco (Deputy Economic Chief), Lisbon, Portugal (Economic Unit Chief), Accra, Ghana (Economic Section Chief)
    Career Track: Economic
    Years of Service: 18
    Prior Experience: Before I joined the Foreign Service, I worked in market research and environmental consulting. In both cases, I gravitated towards the international work done at these organizations. Ultimately, it was a 2004 trip to Damascus, Syria for a UN-related environmental consulting project that convinced me I wanted to represent my country and join the Foreign Service.
    Education: BA in International Affairs with a minor in Economics from Colby College in Waterville, ME and a Masters in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
    Interesting Experience: The Foreign Service offers no end of unique experiences. However, the one I remember most vividly is from my second tour in Tanzania. I served as the Political Officer, covering refugee issues, among others. I had the opportunity to visit refugee camps and settlements to meet with men and women and their children displaced by conflict. On one occasion, I observed a group of 20 or so Congolese refugees board their resettlement flight to start new lives abroad. Their excitement was palpable and their bravery humbling.
    Last Post: Economic Section Chief in Accra, Ghana
    Why I Chose a Foreign Service Career: Since high school, I’ve been interested in foreign affairs. I knew I wanted a career that would let me explore new cultures and economies, but I didn’t know how to get there. I took advantage of opportunities in the private sector after college, which grounded me with a strong skill set. But there was always something missing. Many of my graduate school classmates took the Foreign Service Officer Test. I wasn’t quite convinced I was the right fit for the Department of State. After talking to these same individuals several years into their first or second tours overseas, I knew the Foreign Service was for me. Thankfully the Department thought so too! Seventeen years later, it has been an incredible opportunity filled with meaningful work, continual learning, and adventure.

     

    Eric Aldrich, Diplomat in Residence New York Metro
    (NJ, NY)

    Region: New York Metro
    Affiliate Universities: CUNY City College
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Guangzhou, China (Consular Officer); Tegucigalpa, Honduras (Cultural Affairs Officer); Beijing, China (Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Officer); Suva, Fiji (Political Officer); The American Institute in Taiwan (Cultural Affairs Officer); Erbil, Iraq (Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Coordinator); Panama (Refugee Coordinator for Panama and the Caribbean)
    Career Track: Public Diplomacy
    Years of Service: 18
    Prior Experience: Before I joined the State Department, I worked as a researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations;  a social worker and at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and the the Lower East Side Family Union; and resident director of a Chinese language program in Harbin, China.
    Languages:   Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese), Spanish
     Education:    BA in History (University of Chicago); Graduate Certificate in China Studies (Hopkins Nanjing Center); Masters in Public Health (Yale University)
    Interesting Experience:   I’ve had lots of interesting experiences- from serving as an election observer in Fiji to working on life-saving humanitarian assistance programs- but I’ll never forget working on cultural exchange programs with Cal Ripken Jr. and his team in Guangzhou; with StepAfrika in Tegucigalpa; and with Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States in Taipei.
    Last Post:    Regional Refugee Coordinator for Panama and the Caribbean based at the the U.S. Embassy in Panama City
    Why I Chose a Foreign Service Career: I was inspired by the foreign service officers I met while working as a researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations.  They had incredible language skills and knew more about public health and environmental developments in China than almost any one had I met at that point.

     

    Michelle Kayser, Diplomat in Residence New England
    (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

    Region: New England
    Affiliate Universities: Tufts University
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Bangui, Central African Republic; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Executive Secretariat; European Union and Regional Affairs Office; Bern, Switzerland
    Career Track: Political
    Years of Service: 12
    Prior Experience: N/A (came in directly from graduate school)
    Languages: French, German, and Spanish
    Education: Master’s in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont
    Interesting Experience: Supporting former Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Luxembourg in July 2016. It meant a lot to me to help plan and facilitate this visit because Luxembourg is my father’s home country. I was honored to bring our most senior Diplomat to the beautiful country and to help forge even stronger relations between our two countries.
    Last Post: Bern, Switzerland
    Why I Chose a Foreign Service Career: While I was always interested in international affairs, I chose a career with the Department of State because every day is different and unpredictable so I’m never bored and am constantly learning. I have been able to travel and work with outstanding colleagues in five continents. This job presents me with unique opportunities and challenges every day and I love the exposure to different people, languages, and cultures.

     

    John Dinkelman, Diplomat in Residence DC Metro
    (DC, DE, MD)

    Region: DC Metro
    Affiliate Universities:Howard University (HBCU)
    LinkedIn: Visit the DIR LinkedIn Page
    Tours: Belgrade, Yugoslavia (Consular and Management rotation); London, UK (Management); Majuro, Marshall Islands (Management); The Hague, Netherlands (General Services Officer); Ankara, Turkey (Human Resources Officer); Foreign Service Institute (Orientation Officer); Nogales, Mexico (Principal Officer); Nassau, Bahamas (Deputy Chief of Mission); Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (Office Director, Executive Director); Bureau of Administration (Chief of Staff, Deputy Assistant Secretary).
    Career Track: Management
    Years of Service: 35
    Prior Career: I worked my way through college as a real estate agent. Upon graduating I worked for Unisys Corporation prior to joining the Foreign Service.
    Languages: Spanish, Dutch, Serbo-Croatian, and Turkish
    Education: Degrees (Bachelor’s) in business/finance and Spanish from Brigham Young University
    Interesting Experience: For me, it’s the “little things” that make the difference. Experiences at corner grocery stores, street markets, churches, and barber shops. Even though most of my hair has long since disappeared, I’ve especially enjoyed developing relationships with the various barbers I’ve known over the years. Their insights into the community, society, and language all come in short fifteen-minute lessons every two weeks where I have sat as a truly captive audience of one. Over the course of years, these relationships have deepened and led to visits to homes, family celebrations, life events, and a deeper appreciation of the journey that is a career in the Foreign Service. Tip your barber!
    Last Post: Deputy Assistant Secretary for Logistics Management.
    Why I Chose a Foreign Service Career: I spent two years in Izmir, Turkey as a teenage “Army Brat” during which I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon observing the operations at our consulate and was fascinated as I watched foreign service officers issuing visas, birth certificates, and passports. I learned how these State Department professionals also visited hospitalized and imprisoned Americans and was amazed by the idea that I could spend a career devoted to such work. It amazed me that one could even get paid to learn new languages and spend years living and traveling around the world. It seemed too good to be true; but the more I learned about the Foreign Service, the better it sounded. In the years since, it has yet to disappoint.