A Conversation with Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, President of Middle East Policy Council

Dear Minority Leaders,

Today we wrap our three part series on diversity in the U.S. Department of State and diplomacy with the preeminent expert on the topic: Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, State’s first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Amb. Abercrombie-Winstanley became the first woman to head a diplomatic mission to Saudi Arabia in 2002 and was the longest serving Ambassador to Malta. She speaks Arabic, Hebrew, and Maltese. Ambassador Abercrombie-Winstanley is a living legend and role model to me and an entire generation of women of color in diplomacy and national security. A trailblazing distinguished diplomat with decades of leadership under her belt, the Ambassador has also held senior positions at the Defense Department and the National Security Council of the White House. She is a co-founder of the Leadership Council for Women in National Security, where I currently serve as a board member. She is currently serving as the first woman and African American to serve as president of the Middle East Policy Council (MEPC).I am honored to welcome Ambassador Abercrombie-Winstanley to the show to discuss her illustrious career, offer sage advice to women of color interested in a career in diplomacy, and share an honest, no-nonsense critique of the Biden-Harris Administration's work to advance diversity and inclusion in the U.S. foreign policy and national security workforce. The Ambassador also discusses her goals for expanding the breadth and scope of MEPC’s programs and initiatives. We discuss how to hold ‘toxic rockstars’ accountable in the workplace, why black and brown foreign policy experts should not be pigeonholed to only work on Africa and the Caribbean, foreign service fellowship programs and the entrance exam, the importance of remembering to have fun while climbing the career ladder, and why choosing the right life partner or spouse is critical for women in leadership careers. Tune in for a truly illuminating, frank, and fun conversation. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

For Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley’s full bio visit  www.state.gov/biographies/gina-abercrombie-winstanley/

For more on the Middle East Policy Council’s programs and LCWINS, see:  https://mepc.org/
https://mepc.org/events/capitol-hill-conferences
https://teachmideast.org/
https://www.lcwins.org/