AMA With an Ambassador
When U.S. diplomats negotiate a treaty, attend a state dinner, or arrange a visa for a traveler to the United States, they all have the same mission—to represent the interests and policies of the United States.
An ambassador is the President’s highest-ranking representative to a specific nation or international organization abroad. An effective ambassador has to be a strong leader—a good manager, a resilient negotiator, and a respected representative of the United States. A key role of an ambassador is to coordinate the activities not only of the Foreign Service Officers and staff serving under him, but also representatives of other U.S. agencies in the country.
But have you ever wondered what it’s really like to be an ambassador? Movies and media can often depict this senior foreign service career as glitz, glamour, and Bond-like intrigue, but join us on September 1st to hear from former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Robert Pearson, to discuss what day-to-day on the ground life can entail. He will speak with us about his path to an Ambassadorship, the current issues facing US diplomacy, his experiences in Turkey, and how federal officials must learn to balance their personal beliefs with administration policies. Join us and ask him anything!
Date: Tuesday, September 1st, 2020
Time: 6:00 – 7:00 P.M.
Register online (Free to TMS members and non-members)
Biography
Ambassador (ret.) W. Robert Pearson is a non-resident scholar at The Middle East Institute and a retired professional Foreign Service Officer. He was ambassador to Turkey 2000 to 2003. He was Director General of the United States Foreign Service from 2003 to 2006, earning two national awards for his work. Ambassador Pearson is past president of IREX, an international development NGO based in Washington. He spearheaded IREX’s expansion to reach more than 125 countries worldwide. Currently, he is president of American Diplomacy Publishers, a digital magazine supported by UNC. His areas of interest include Turkey, the European Union, Russia, the Middle East, and Central and East Asia, including China, in addition to the United States.
He has published numerous articles, blogs and opinion pieces on diplomacy, foreign policy, Turkey, NGOs, and development. He has appeared on BBC, CNBC, MSNBC, NPR, Al-Jazeera, I24 TV, TNT Global and other networks. He is a frequent speaker on foreign affairs issues concerning the role of diplomacy in American engagement abroad.
He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia School of Law and speaks French, Chinese and Turkish. His wife Margaret is also a retired Senior Foreign Service Officer. The Pearsons have one son, Matthew, married to Ashley, and two grandchildren, who live in Charlotte, NC.