Partners in Diplomacy

Jill Strachan, In profiling her parents Alan and Evelyn and their postings in Greece, Pakistan, Egypt, Vietnam (unaccompanied), and Sri Lanka, provides an extraordinary peek into USAID careers and family life in the 1950s and 1960s. Jill also describes the disruptions of the McCarthy era, the impact of growing up as a third culture kid, and her memoir “Waterfalls, the Moon and Sensible Shoes: One Lesbian Life.”

As spouse to a US diplomat, Karl Deringer adapted his skills when living in different places, and has worked as a nurse, humanitarian and community organizer in Africa, massage therapist, embassy CLO, dance instructor, and stock trader.

Mette Beecroft is a pioneer and tireless advocate for improving the lives of Foreign Service families through her efforts to launch the Family Liaison Office (FLO) at the State Department in 1978 and her work as a CLO (Community Liaison Officer) at various embassies. Hear about her 50-year service to the U.S. diplomatic community and the history of the FLO.

While living abroad, Lauren Steed opened her own consulting business to provide educational counseling for Global Nomads and Third Culture Kids. She recently started a podcast series called “Available Worldwide,” which interviews diplomatic spouses about their strategies for adapting their careers to Foreign Service life overseas. Hear about her projects in this Partners in Diplomacy episode.

In her lifetime association with the U.S. diplomatic community, Toni Stearns grew up in a Foreign Service family, married a U.S. diplomat who became a two-time ambassador, and raised four children abroad, one of whom is now a Foreign Service Officer. Hear about her adventures living in Greece and Africa during interesting and challenging times.

Vicki Butler is a journalist, freelance writer, editor and author who contributed to groundbreaking inspection reports on Iraq and Afghanistan. In this Partners in Diplomacy podcast, hear about Vicki's life as the spouse of the ambassador to Sudan and Haiti and her experiences teaching at a women's university in Khartoum.

Johanna Klees serves as an example of how the embassy can provide jobs for diplomat spouses. In this PiD episode, she talks about being in Tunis at the outbreak of the Arab uprisings and then working as CLO in Baghdad during the conflict with ISIS.

Scottish-born aeronautical engineer Craig Houston developed a method to measure air quality in Thailand and advocated for environmental changes to reduce air pollution. He used online training to acquire further skills and recently established his own company on renewable energy. Hear about his environmental work on three continents.

Hala Buck, Lebanese-born FS spouse, author, therapist, artist and educator, discusses her identity as human bridge and the search for home and belonging, as well as being in Baghdad during the 86-89 war and cross-cultural family life in this PiD episode.

Susan Story talks about accompanying her husband, current Amb to Venezuela Jimmy Story, to several Latin American countries in this PiD episode. Hear more on her 23 years as an FS spouse, as well as the dramatic and sudden evacuation from Venezuela in 2019.

Sharon Miles lived and worked with her husband in Leningrad from 89-91, West Berlin in 91, then Azerbaijan, Moscow in 93, before Belgrade 96-99. Hear her story about being a FSO spouse for 38 years and experiencing historic places at historic times.

The collapse of Yugoslavia during the Yugoslav Wars triggered one of the worst refugee crises in European history. Karen Singh and her husband Doug Jones were involved in efforts to assist refugees.

In this PiD episode, Laura Sheehan talks about how she has gained skills and experiences with career transitions, as a FSO spouse for 18 years, which in turn has led her to help others with professional career coaching.

U.S.-Russia relations reached a nadir in 2014, following the Russian Invasion of Crimea. Mariella Tefft, the wife of then U.S. Ambassador to Russia John F. Tefft served in Moscow during this turbulent period.

With a population of 1.4 billion, China is one of the most diverse countries in the world. Michelle Fowler, experienced this during her numerous stays in China. Hear more about China, learning languages, being pregnant, and "flexiblity" as they raised four children around the world and back in the US for this Partner in Diplomacy.

In this PiD podcast episode, we meet Judy Ikels who after years working in different countries, worked to help create spousal employment in the Foreign Service at the Family Liaison Office in DC.

In this PiD episode, we meet former diplomat, attorney, business co-owner and author Clayton Bond. Hear more about being a gay tandem couple in the FS, living in Southeast Asia, their adoption process and his activism on LGBT+ rights.

An introduction to the "Partners in Diplomacy" podcast.

While her husband served as Ambassador in Bosnia from 99-01, Bonnie Miller saw the devastation and trauma that war brings to a country. In this PiD episode we hear more about her work with NGOs, on educational programs and counter-trafficking.

HIV/AIDS continues to ravage the African continent, despite the efforts of local governments and international aid. John Warner, a Partner in Diplomacy, assisted efforts to halt the spread of the disease in the continent.

In 1989, hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens protested against government misrule. Joanne Huskey, a Partner in Diplomacy, witnessed firsthand the brutal suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests. Read more about her account here:In 1989, hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens protested against government misrule. Joanne Huskey, a Partner in Diplomacy, witnessed firsthand the brutal suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests.

While living in Jakarta with her husband who served as Ambassador, Sofia Blake started a project that supports female entrepreneurship in Indonesia. Hear more about her other women's empowerment and education programs in this PiD episode: