Hometown Diplomat Program

The Secretary's Hometown Diplomats Program is designed to explain to America what we do and why it matters. We do this by tapping into our best resource: our people. Employees volunteer their time on scheduled trips back to their hometown (during home leave and hometown visits) to talk to local organizations, their elementary and high schools, their college alma maters, meet with state and local elected officials, and to participate in media interviews. This program is an integral part of the Department's Diplomatic Readiness Initiative, which has set ambitious new hiring targets.

The Hometown Diplomat Program helps the U.S. Department of State establish and maintain important relationships with individuals and local communities. Department employees volunteer their time during trips to their hometown to speak publicly with local organizations and students of all ages and educational backgrounds. Hometown Diplomats may also meet with elected officials and media outlets.

Featured Hometown Diplomat: Anthony Renzulli

Meet Other Hometown Diplomats

Hometown Diplomat Anthony Renzulli, pictured above, spoke at the Kiwanis Club in his hometown of Baldwin, New York. Anthony is a Political Officer with U.S. Embassy Turkey.

Q:  Why did you decide to participate in the Hometown Diplomats Program?

I had an R&R planned a few months after the announcement of this year’s program, and I generally take my R&R [leave] in my hometown, i.e., where my parents still live. Like many Foreign Service Officers, I am usually happy to volunteer for programs that serve the Department and the Foreign Service.

Q:   How did the State Department prepare you for the program?

The State Department contacted the local Rotary chapter and scheduled me for its meeting. It also put me in touch with a journalist from the local community newspaper, and we arranged a date to talk.

Q:   How do you think the program benefited your community?

My outreach was relatively limited, i.e., one community organization and one local newspaper. However, Rotary is very active with youth and the members expressed significant pride that a local resident, from the local public school system, has gone on to a successful career serving his country. Regarding the newspaper interview, local family acquaintances and friends have said they now understand what I do much better!

Q:  Do any stories from your experience with the Hometown Diplomats Program stand out?

Please note the anecdotes above. I would add that local audiences – even Rotarians – are far more sophisticated about foreign affairs than might be appreciated inside the Beltway. That said, there is surprise and frustration when they learn that U.S. diplomatic resources are so comparatively small, at least when compared to military resources. The Rotary members – many of whom are veterans – said they would write to their elected officials and urge them to help rectify this situation.

Q:  What did you gain from being a Hometown Diplomat?

Public speaking experience; it was the first time I’ve engaged a “non-foreign affairs” audience on foreign policy matters. It requires a different approach than talking to other diplomats or policy wonks, and this was good practice.

Q:  How do you think this program furthers the mission of the State Department?

For all the reasons above: to inform the public about what we do, why it’s important, and how the public can support us in our mission.

Anthony Renzulli began his Foreign Service career in 2003 in the State Department’s Office of Environmental Policy, where he was responsible for coordinating U.S. government international environmental policy at the United Nations and the OECD. From 2004-2006 he served as Vice Consul in Mumbai, India, and arrived in Ankara in April 2007, following Turkish language training. At the Embassy, Anthony serves as a Political Officer, reporting on Turkey’s external relations, and Turkey’s efforts to combat the trafficking of human beings for sexual exploitation and labor. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Anthony served for five years as an International Trade Specialist at the Department of Commerce, responsible for international commodities policy and industrial market access in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other multilateral organizations. Anthony is a graduate of Baldwin Senior High School (1990), and American University, in Washington, DC, where he received his B.A. in International Relations (1994) and his M.A. in International Economic Policy (1998).  He speaks Spanish, Italian, and not-so-great Turkish.

Meet the Secretary's Hometown Diplomats