Tours: U.S. Embassy Nairobi, Kenya; U.S. Consulate General Peshawar, Pakistan (two times); Basrah and Baghdad, Iraq; Sinai, Egypt; Afghanistan (Mazar, Kabul twice); Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Dakar, Senegal; Brasilia, Brazil; Bangkok, Thailand; Khartoum, Sudan, and Washington, D.C.

Career Track: Diplomatic Security Service, Human Resources Management

Years of Service: 33

Prior Experience: Bat Boy for the Kansas City Royals Baseball Club; followed by Social Worker for the Salvation Army

Languages: Studied French, Dari, and Portuguese at the Foreign Service Institute, Arlington, Virginia

Education: Bachelors of Social Work (BSW), Central Missouri State University; Masters of Public Administration, University of Southern California; and MA Human Resources Management, Marymount University

Interesting Experience: My most interesting State Department Foreign Service experience took place during the first visit by South African Nobel Prize winner Nelson Mandela to the United States, June 20 -30, 1990, after his release from prison. As a DSS Agent assigned to his 200 person protective detail, I was fortunate to accompany him, Mrs. Winnie Mandela, and Bishop Desmond Tutu, during their ten-day, eight city tour. I had first been exposed to apartheid South Africa when I took a visit to our Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa while assigned to our embassy in Mozambique in 1987. The Mandela’s visit to the U.S. was a highly inspirational experience. Future President Mandela’s words, “Freedom in our lifetime. Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all,” rang in my ears during large swaths of the visit. Before the visit, I wondered out loud, having seen then-apartheid South Africa, how could a person incarcerated for 27 years speak so passionately about peace and reconciliation – where did this “power of forgiveness” come from? After spending time with Mr. Mandela and the rest of the travelling party, I began to understand. His power of forgiveness came from the pronoun “we” rather than “me,” being part of something bigger than ourselves, similar to the, “a rising tide lifts all boats,” message championed by President Kennedy. A point which became even clearer when Mr. Mandela said, “ I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony with equal opportunities.” Words that continue empowering my Foreign Service journey, every day.

Last Post: Principal Officer, United States Consulate General Peshawar, Pakistan

Why I Chose a Foreign Service Career: After traveling to over 133 countries, meeting thousands of people, I attribute my passion for the Foreign Service to an insatiable inquisitive nature, Martin Luther King Jr.’s sermons, and years of participating in high school and collegiate team sports. My body of international public service life now spans more than 35 years of both federal and state level work, fueled by respect for Equal Opportunity, diversity, and inclusive teamwork. Serving as the foundation of my leadership style, my North Star remains wanting to make a difference by building effective collaborations, while helping others realize their full potential, hopes, and dreams.