Skip to main content

Virtual Fireside Chat with Scott Smith, Diplomat in Residence

07/30/2020 05:30 PM - 06:30 PM MT

Location

Your Home! (Zoom)

Description

About this Event

The WorldDenver Young Professionals are thrilled to welcome Scott Smith, the Diplomat in Residence for the Rocky Mountain region, for an intimate, virtual fireside chat moderated by YP Board Member, Ashley Dodge. Through stories and anecdotes, DIR Scott Smith will share his myriad of wild, amusing, and impactful experiences as a Foreign Service Officer. He will also explore the professional, interpersonal, and intercultural skills he has developed over the years, and provide insight on how they apply in career and life paths both domestic and abroad. Participants will have the opportunity to ask DIR Scott Smith any questions about his experiences, his career, and his life. 

If you are determined to pursue a career in the Foreign Service, are tentatively considering the Foreign Service as an option, or even are just interested in professional development in the context of working abroad, we invite you to grab a glass of wine, whiskey, or water and tune into this exciting opportunit y to hear from Denver's own Diplomat in Residence.


About Our Speaker 

Scott Smith
Diplomat in Residence - Rocky Mountain Region

Tours: Consular in Bogota; Public diplomacy (Cultural Affairs and Press) in Tokyo, Guatemala City, La Paz, Sao Paulo, Havana, and Caracas

Career Track: Public Diplomacy

Years of Service: 17

Prior Career: During undergrad and grad school, I waited tables to help pay the bills. Believe it or not, that experience actually helped to prepare me for the Foreign Service. Servers – just like Foreign Service Officers – have to juggle multiple demands simultaneously, have to use strong interpersonal skills to deal with tough customers, and always have to remain flexible. It never ceases to amaze me how those skills dealing with customers and working as part of a team are directly relevant to what I do today.

Languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, French

Education: BA in Political Science, French, and Spanish from Franklin College; MSFS from Georgetown University

Interesting Experience: I love dogs. One of my big concerns before joining the Foreign Service was whether or not I could take my fur baby with me. Not being able to take him would’ve been a deal breaker for me. I connected with a group of Foreign Service pet owners, who helped me figure out how to navigate the various requirements for traveling internationally with a pet. I’ll never forget the first time I went overseas with him. We went to Guatemala City. As soon as we got there, he started to smell EVERYTHING. Each place we go has different vegetation, different birds and animals, different soil – so naturally, his instincts kick in and he starts investigating the new territory. It’s pretty cool to watch. Walking him in my neighborhood, I got to know a lot of my Guatemalan neighbors who also had dogs. There’s no way I would’ve met these people had it not been for the fact that we were out walking several times a day. It helped me integrate quickly into the community. What’s really fun is that because he’s lived in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, my dog learned a few commands in those languages, so when Brazilian friends would come over and say “Senta!”, he would know he needed to sit. Families come in all shapes and sizes and being able to hike volcanoes and go to the beach with my pup has made my Foreign Service experience even richer.

Last Post: Cultural Affairs Officer in Caracas

 

About Our Moderator 

Ashley Dodge
WorldDenver Young Professional Board Member

Ashley Dodge is COO of Lighthouse Inspections, a small startup. She holds a BA in International Studies and MA in International Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis and has worked in international leadership development conferences in New York, DC, and South Korea. She joined WorldDenver last year after proudly serving three years on the board of the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council. When she isn’t working, she hikes with her dog Hans.

Neon CRM by Neon One
Close