Diplomat in Residence – Northwest
(AK, OR, WA)
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.