As part of Harvard’s American Diplomacy Project: A Foreign Service for the 21st Century, Americans who are “tuned in” to world affairs are asked to contribute their perspectives to this non-partisan national discussion of how to revitalize and modernize American diplomacy and the U.S. Foreign Service. The goal is to generate specific proposals to be published in a Harvard University report for the White House, Congress and the Department of State in the winter of 2020.
AMBASSADOR NICHOLAS BURNS
Ambassador Nicholas Burns is the Goodman Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at Harvard Kennedy School. He is the founder and Faculty Chair of the Future of Diplomacy Project and Faculty Chair of the Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship at the Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Burns is Executive Director of the Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum, and Senior Counselor at the Cohen Group. His career in the U.S. Foreign Service includes service as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2005-2008), Ambassador to NATO (2001-2005), Ambassador to Greece (1997-2001) and State Department Spokesman. He also served on the National Security Council, specializing in Soviet, Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia affairs for Presidents Clinton and George H.W. Bush. Burns was a member of Secretary Kerry’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board (2014-2017).
AMBASSADOR MARC GROSSMAN
Ambassador Marc Grossman is Vice Chairman of The Cohen Group. He was a career Foreign Service Officer (1976-2005) whose distinguished service includes Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (2001-2005), Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (1997-2000), and U.S. Ambassador to Turkey (1994-1997). After joining The Cohen Group and while serving as Chairman of the World Affairs Councils of America, Ambassador Grossman was recalled to the State Department as U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (2011-2012). He rejoined The Cohen Group in 2013.
AMBASSADOR NANCY McELDOWNEY
Ambassador Nancy McEldowney is a Distinguished Professor and Director of the Master of Science in Foreign Service program at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. Her 31-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service includes service as U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria (2008-2009), Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission in Turkey (2005-2008) and Azerbaijan (2001-2004), Director of European Affairs on the National Security Council, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs (2009-2011), Interim President and Senior Vice President of the National Defense University (2011-2013), and Director of the Foreign Service Institute and the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (2013-2017).
AMBASSADOR MARCIE RIES
Ambassador Marcie Ries is a Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Senior Advisor at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute. Her 37-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service includes service as U.S. Ambassador to Albania (2004-2007), U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria (2012-2015), the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) negotiating team, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Minister-Counselor for Political-Military Affairs in Baghdad (2007-2008), Head of the U.S. Office Pristina (2003-2004), Director of the State Department’s Office of United Nations Political Affairs (2001-2003), Counselor in the U.S. Embassy in London, and service in the European Union, Turkey and Dominican Republic missions.
