Experience

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  U.S. Embassy in Mexico

  • Mexico City, Mexico

  • Director for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, Acting

    • Aug 2023 - Present
    • Mexico City, Mexico

    Acting Director of the 200-person Section, managing $298 million in foreign assistance to counter Fentanyl production and trafficking, arms trafficking and human smuggling, bolstering the Mexican judicial system to disrupt transnational criminal organizations.

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  U.S. Department of State

  • United States
  • International Affairs
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Foreign Service Officer

    • Sep 2001 - Present

  • Counselor for Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy Prague

    • Aug 2020 - Jul 2023

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  U.S. Embassy Prague

  • Prague, Czech Republic

  • Acting Deputy Chief of Mission

    • Mar 2022 - Feb 2023
    • Prague, Czech Republic

    Principal deputy, policy advisor, and chief operating officer. Supervises a 250-person mission, including 80 Americans and 170 locally employed staff; oversees a $25 million budget.

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  U.S. Department of State

  • Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Counselor for Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy Sarajevo

    • Aug 2016 - Jul 2019
    • Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

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  Exxonmobil

  • Eagleburger Fellow

    • 2014 - 2015

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  U.S. Department of State

  • Course Coordinator/Instructor

    • Aug 2011 - Aug 2014

    Develops, designs and delivers public diplomacy courses for more than 250 Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) and locally engaged U.S. embassy and consulate staff annually, significantly contributing to the work of public diplomacy practitioners; Crafts curriculum for five different courses covering skills such as: using public diplomacy resources to advance foreign policy priorities, designing effective exchange and cultural programs, designing a strategic communications plan, how to most effectively engage a foreign audience, strategic planning and evaluation, and the foundations of public diplomacy; Designs course evaluations and continually uses this input to re-design and tweak on-going and future courses; Advertises courses and recruits course participants both within and outside the Department of State; Mentors and acts as an advocate for new Foreign Service Officers and locally engaged staff doing public affairs work; Collaborates across the Foreign Service Institute to advocate on behalf of the public diplomacy training office by briefing other State Department employees and courses on Public Diplomacy priorities; Supervises a staff of three.

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  U.S. Mission to NATO

  • Deputy Public Affairs Advisor

    • Jul 2008 - Jul 2011

    Managed a $900,000 annual program budget to educate and engage European leaders and journalists on NATO’s priorities and relevance to their countries’ foreign policies; Executed more than 100 programs, personally briefing each group of journalists or policy leaders on U.S. foreign policy priorities on extremely sensitive and politically explosive issues such as: missile defense in Europe, the ISAF operation in Afghanistan and NATO’s operation in Libya; Worked closely with U.S. embassies throughout Europe, Eurasia, and Afghanistan monitoring and analyzing U.S. and European media to identify program participants and develop tailored programs including giving Afghan Governors access to European capitals to brief European policy makers, academics and media; and bringing European Parliamentarians, journalists, and NGOs to NATO headquarters for briefings with senior U.S. and NATO officials. Led programs for more than 120 international journalists to report on NATO activities in Afghanistan; Received public accolades from several U.S. Ambassadors throughout Europe on the effectiveness of these public diplomacy programs; Advised the U.S. Ambassador to NATO on his use of social media to engage Allied publics; Oversaw the U.S. Mission NATO Facebook page; Drafted public remarks and talking points for the U.S. Ambassador and senior staff; Served as Public Affairs Advisor and as a member of the senior staff of the U.S. Mission; Regularly represented the U.S. on the NATO Committee on Public Affairs, negotiating with 28 Allies; Worked with U.S. and international journalists on President Obama and Secretary Clinton’s press engagements at two NATO Summits; Coordinated press conferences and interviews for Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense on numerous occasions; Orchestrated Secretary Gate's final public speech as Secretary of Defense in 2011; Supervised four staff.

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  U.S. Department of State

  • UK/Ireland Desk Officer

    • Aug 2006 - Jun 2008

    Served as the principal State Department point of contact for the British and Irish Embassies and the US Embassies and Consulates in the UK and Ireland; Provided actionable guidance to senior U.S. policy makers, Congressmen and women, and other government officials on achieving U.S. foreign policy priorities in both countries; Drafted briefing materials for the Secretary of State and other senior officials and orally briefed senior officials; Drafted press guidance and public statements on Department priorities such as Guantanamo Bay and rendition flights; Led the interagency process on a number of sensitive issues.

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  U.S. Consulate General

  • Management Officer

    • Jul 2004 - Aug 2006

    Planned and executed annual 500-guest 4th of July reception as sole management office,; Managed day-to-day functioning of the Consulate building and grounds, all other USG property, security operations, transportation, customs and shipping, and human resources; Directly supervised and/or managed a total staff of fifteen; Worked with local contractors, suppliers, police forces and Embassy London to ensure a high-quality and safe working and residential environment; Served as Consular Section Chief, supervising an additional staff of five.

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  U.S. Embassy

  • Consular Officer

    • Apr 2002 - Mar 2004

    Interviewed Venezuelan citizens and third country nationals for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas including student and work visas; Served as Acting Chief of the Visas Section, directly supervising a staff of 12; Responsible for the public affairs/public diplomacy strategy and operations of the Consular Section, explaining visa law and implications to potential applicants; Ensured on-going visa policy changes were communicated effectively and efficiently to the Venezuelan public through speaking engagements at public events in both English and Spanish, authoring a series of articles on visa issues for the leading Venezuelan business journal, and ensured a robust online presence for the section; Chosen by the Ambassador to remain as essential staff when the Embassy was evacuated due to local instability; Drafted several dozen twice-daily situation reports for senior Department of State, National Security Council, and Department of Defense officials in Washington during this time; Received two Meritorious Honor Awards during this assignment for my service and my ability to implement U.S. consular law and regulations.

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  WESTBURY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

  • Secondary Teacher

    • Aug 1997 - Aug 1999

    Served as the lead Secondary Spanish Teacher; Coached sports, mentored students, and chaired various staff and student committees; Chaired the fundraising, planning, and supervision of the Junior Spring Formal and Senior Trip to Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and New York City.