Joe Sygnatur and Rachel Alberstadt, passport specialists in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, stand next to a heritage display in the Seattle Passport Agency’s breakroom. Sygnatur and Alberstadt created the display in celebration of African-American History Month. The display highlights African-American diplomats who broke institutional barriers to achieve recognition...
By Colin B. Guard
The conference took place virtually, as did the preparation. Nevertheless, the results were real, and so was the team that made it happen.
The “A Team,” the Department of State’s Office of Afghanistan Affairs (SCA/A), recently took on the challenge of coordinating U.S. participation in the 2020...
The Family Liaison Office (FLO) offers several Community Liaison Office (CLO) trainings throughout the year in regions around the world. Most recently, 25 CLO coordinators and assistant CLO coordinators completed a training event in Lima, Nov. 4-8. CLO coordinators provide morale-enhancing support to employees and family members of all...
By Eric Schoennauer and Tony Mazzoccoli
The Department of State’s strategic planning team agrees that there is no cookie-cutter approach to implementing a strategy. Missions come in many shapes and sizes, relationships with host countries vary widely and leaders all have their own styles and unique abilities. Increasingly, post leaders...
Ghulam R. Khan, a locally employed staff member who served as a supervisory immigrant visa specialist at the U.S. Embassy Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, retired, Feb. 14, after 42 years of government service. In his passport and visa work, Khan directly influenced more than one million applicants and their...
By DCB
Staff member from Embassy Banjul and former national broadcaster Fatoumata Ceesay (left) interviewed Emmanuel D. Joof (right), chair of the Gambian National Human Rights Commission, for “U.S. Embassy Gambia Today,” a podcast series featuring leaders shaping the U.S.-Gambian partnership, May 23. Joof discussed his commission’s work, the Department of...
Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources Carol Z. Perez celebrated with award winners at the Bureau of Human Resources (HR) awards ceremony, April 9. Perez opened the ceremony with remarks recognizing the vital work HR employees do to support the Department of State’s mission....
Ben Lesser, a Holocaust survivor, founder of the Zachor Foundation, and author of “Living A Life that Matters: From Nazi Nightmare to American Dream,” spoke remotely to more than 30 staff members of the Seattle Passport Agency in observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 13. Lesser, 92, was invited...
By Evan Lewis
In recognition of the Department of State’s commitment to environmental leadership and sustainable design, the new U.S. embassy in Niger recently achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is a USGBC-developed green building certification program and...