Appointments

Appointments | July/August 2019

Brian J. Bulatao - Under Secretary of State for Management Brian J. Bulatao of Texas is the new Under Secretary of State for Management. Prior to joining the Department, Bulatao served as the chief operating...
The Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources (DG) Carol Z. Perez met with Department of State students at the National Defense University (NDU) to discuss professional development opportunities and support for the Department’s high-performing and agile workforce. Perez outlined some of her initiatives and then engaged with students during a question-and-answer session. Photo by Heidi Howland

DG visits National Defense University

The Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources (DG) Carol Z. Perez met with Department of State students at the National Defense University (NDU) to discuss professional development opportunities and...
RSO Caracas security personnel check vehicles prior to the motorcade carrying embassy personnel to the airport, March 14, in Caracas, Venezuela. Photo by Joel Gomez

Secure Departure

By Angela French Ordered departure: It rarely happens, but when it does the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) makes sure it is done right and that everything is locked up tight. In March, the...
Ethics Answers

Ethics Answers | July/August 2019

Question: I work in the political section at a U.S. Mission to an international organization and because I negotiate routinely at the international organization, I have a “delegate” badge for it. A local art...
Retirements

Retirements | July/August 2019

Civil ServiceBarnes, Rosemary S.Beirne, Vincent J.Bishop, Anthony Buda, Thomas J.Bush, Velma S.Chapman, Myra E.Cwiklik, Jill DeLaughter, Patricia A.D'Errico, Ronald J.Dinkel, Linda L.Dinkel, NicholasDinkens-Greene, Patricia Dunaway, Denise L.Foley, Philip A.Foote, Lula B.Garza, Gilda M.Gerich, Alfred A.Gourley, Julia L.Gunn,...
From Left: Landon Van Dyke, deputy chief sustainability officer; Marcia Bernicat, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs; W. Patrick Murphy, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs; Jim Schwab, director of the Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing and Innovation; David LaMontagne, deputy executive director of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs; and Henry Jardine, principal deputy director of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, at the Department’s 2019 Earth Day Expo and GDI Awards ceremony, April 24, in Washington, D.C. State Department photo

2019 Greening Diplomacy Initiative Awards

By Caroline D’Angelo and James Vaughn The 2019 Greening Diplomacy Initiative (GDI) Award went to Embassy Canberra for their sustainability leadership. Post’s Canberra Greening Initiative (CGI) did everything from composting with worm bins and creating...
Members of the Innovation Unit, (from left) Senior Advisor to the DG and Unit Director M. Brooke Darby, Innovation Advisor Dori Winter and Program Analyst Bianca Blanchard. Photo by Isaac D. Pacheco

Focused on innovation

By Bianca Blanchard The Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources (DG) Carol Z. Perez has been visiting domestic offices and posts abroad to hear directly from employees. These conversations have...
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen shares his storyteller observations on representation, voice and refugees at AAFAA’s keynote event, May 17. Photo by Amanda J. Richard

The power of narrative and representation

By Matthew Asada In May, the Department of State celebrated Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in partnership with two of the Department’s employee affinity groups: the Asian-American Foreign Affairs Association (AAFAA) and South...
Honoring the #Insieme200 theme, (first row second from left) Florence Consul General Benjamin V. Wohlauer joined American study abroad students in a volunteer project cleaning up the district of the Oltrarno, April 1. Photo courtesy of ConGen Florence

Consulate General Florence celebrates diplomatic bicentennial

By George Mesthos In 1819, American diplomacy in Florence got off to a rough start. U.S. Consul Thomas Appleton at Livorno designated Florentine Giacomo “James” Ombrosi to represent the United States interests in the capital...
Members of the Department’s OSDBU, (from left) George Price, director; Thelma Edmunds, procurement analyst, Shahrokh “Peter” Zahirieh, senior procurement analyst; Patricia Foster, administrative manager; Rich Vinnacombe, deputy director; Anna Urman, senior procurement analyst, Renee M. Hill, small business liaison; and Dr. J. Anthony Josey, senior procurement analyst. Photo by Luis A. Jimenez Jr.

Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

By Anna Urman Small businesses are the engine of America’s economy and an unparalleled source of innovation, creating nearly two million jobs annually. Eight million small businesses are minority-owned and nearly 300,000 are engaged in...