U.S. Ambassador to Discuss Careers in Foreign Service

U.S. Ambassador, Julie Gianelloni Connor, current diplomat-in-residence at the University of Texas at Austin, will be on campus tomorrow to discuss Foreign Service careers with Hardin-Simmons University students.

 

A 31-year veteran of the Department of State, Julie Connor has been a member of the Senior Foreign Service since 1999. Her overseas assignments have included Bogota, Colombia (twice); Santiago, Chile; Tel Aviv, Israel (twice); Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Jakarta, Indonesia; Guatemala City; and Asuncion, Paraguay.

 

Conner also headed up the U.S. Embassy’s public diplomacy efforts in Gaza from 2000 to2001. In Washington, she has been acting deputy assistant secretary of state and senior advisor in the Bureau of Verification, Compliance, and Implementation (VCI). Conner has also served as acting deputy director and senior advisor for the Office of International Women’s Issues (G/IWI), and deputy director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.

 

Students will have an opportunity to hear about her experiences and learn of job opportunities during the session that begins at 2:45 p.m., Tuesday, October 23, 2012, in the Skiles Building, room 114. All students, staff, and faculty are invited to attend.

 

The general presentation will be followed by small group sessions on the topics of Internships and Fellowships (3:45pm), Careers in Civil and Foreign Service (4:15pm), and Preparing for the Foreign Service Office Test (4:45pm).

 

Conner is currently the State Department’s diplomat-in-residence for Central Texas, based at the LBJ School for Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. In her last overseas assignment in Bogota, Conner headed the Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS), managing a budget of $460 million, a staff of 700, and a fleet of 200 helicopters and spray planes.

 

During her tenure, her section’s top goal, the eradication of coca (the precursor for cocaine), rose by over 22%, compared to the previous highest-ever annual increase of 2.8%. She led NAS to review standard business practices, then worked with the ambassador to renegotiate with the government of Colombia the terms under which coca eradication programs would be carried out. The changes she inaugurated, including a fleet modernization effort, resulted in increased efficiency and effectiveness.

 

In Santiago, Conner headed the Public Affairs Section (PAS) and served as acting deputy chief of mission (A/DCM) for seven months. While A/DCM over the 9/11/2001 period, she was in charge on the day a letter bomb was delivered to the embassy. Her role in coordinating the embassy’s response to that event resulted in a letter of commendation from Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.

 

Serving as chargé on the six-month anniversary of 9/11, Julie delivered a speech to assembled Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials and the diplomatic corps on the implications of 9/11 for the U.S. government. And as director of PAS, Julie organized the one-year 9/11 anniversary events, which received national news coverage and included a first-ever visit to the U.S. chancery by Chilean president Ricardo Lagos.

 

Peace and democracy initiatives topped Julie’s focus in Tel Aviv, where she organized projects bringing together Israelis and Palestinians.Conner has been the recipient of numerous department and USIA awards, including four Superior Honor Awards, two performance awards, and USIA’s Equal Employment Opportunity Award.

 

Conner holds an M.S. in national security strategy from the National War College, an M.A. from the University of Houston, and a B.A. from Rice University.