Oh the Places You'll Go....

I have been posted in 4 countries (two of them twice), worked in another 17 countries (and visited for pleasure many more) and now I have the privilege of covering 3 US States as Diplomat in Residence covering Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania!? What a whirlwind and wonderful life these past 24+ years with the Department of State have been! The range of my positions and the variety of locations lived and experienced has resulted in a marvelous life my ancestors could only have dreamed of for me and my family. I rose to the Senior Foreign Service despite never having thought I could do so when joining at what I thought at the time was the “late” age of 37.

Where did I initially think this career would lead? I was unsure, and had no plan other than to have a good steady job where I could realize my desire to deeply experience as much of the African continent as possible. As I learned more about the breadth of work and opportunity afforded by the Department of State, I decided I also wanted to make as strong a contribution as possible to improving our global environment.

My first assignment was to Nigeria where I supported a large number of Americans in their times of crises and need as well as simply to get the services they were due.? I also basked in the rich history and cultures of West Africa and will never forget the Royal Palaces of Abomey in Benin and the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove and being given the name Osunwunmi. ?At the U.S. Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea, I drastically improved the level of healthcare afforded to our courageous locally employed staff, and I was transformed by visiting Lalibela, walking among the camel herds outside of Dire Dawa, and drinking from the fresh springs of Wenchi. I marveled at the beauty of the people and landscapes all three countries of the region I covered: Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea.

When I worked in Washington, DC in the office dedicated to combating wildlife trafficking and conserving natural landscapes and biodiversity around the globe, I headed a project to end the rampant slaughter of African elephant herds. We successfully negotiated with the Chinese government to jointly end our domestic trade in African elephant ivory, making a solid impact.

While in South Africa, I focused on enabling a talented team of Americans and South Africans to achieve their very best – and they did in fact successfully craft and implement creative programs of action to address youth unemployment, to increase social cohesion, to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic, enable Americans to get home during the COVID pandemic and much more.?It wasn’t all work though - I deeply appreciated the warm welcome I received in my local Rotary Club and as a volunteer with Big Brother/Big Sisters of South Africa.? And I traveled extensively to experience the rich Southern African cultures and the heart-opening wonders of the natural landscapes of South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, and Botswana.?My time at the U.S. Embassy in Mozambique centered on laying the bureaucratic groundwork and establishing the design for a New Embassy Compound that met our goals for sustainability (https://www.state.gov/overseas-buildings-operations-awarded-leed-gold-for-new-u-s-embassy-in-maputo-mozambique/).?

This space is too small to recount all the highlights of my career, but it should be noted that each assignment – whether abroad or in the united States – was chosen fully considering my family and personal needs alongside considerations for my career progression.?Early on I sought assignments that would demonstrate my management expertise and that would enable my teenage daughters to attend their school of choice – a terrific boarding school. ?My domestic tours in New Haven, Washington, and now Pittsburgh have enabled me to positively contribute to our environmental and climate engagement and build the State Department at the enterprise level while living nearer to our parents, children and grandchildren.

I have been truly satisfied with my career as a Foreign Service Officer in the management career track.? I honestly consider myself super privileged to have had such a career. I had no idea when I first joined where this journey would take me, but I am so glad that I took the chance and applied. Take a chance on your own life and learn more about our careers https://careers.state.gov/