Contact: Monique McSween | (202) 939-5882 | mmcsween@meridian.org
Washington DC: On January 19, Meridian International Center is pleased to welcome Ambassador Laurence D. Wohlers as a Meridian Senior Fellow. During his fellowship, Ambassador Wohlers will conduct new research on public diplomacy along with the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.
Through this new project, The Future American Public Diplomat: An Assessment of Public Diplomacy Doctrine, Training and Advancement at the U.S. Department of State, Ambassador Wohlers will evaluate the current strategy and human resources capacity of U.S. public diplomacy efforts; determine whether recruitment, training, and personnel advancement efforts for public diplomacy officers are effective; and make recommendations on how the U.S. Department of State can improve them. Ambassador Wohlers will conduct individual interviews, focus groups, and roundtable discussions with U.S. Department of State public diplomacy officers, other government branches, and related non-governmental actors.
According to Meridian’s President and CEO Ambassador Stuart Holliday, "This research will pave the way for a new kind of American public diplomat and a greater understanding of what defines successful outcomes and careers." As Washington’s premier center for global leadership, Meridian is extremely proud to be a part of this important project.
Ambassador Wohlers joins Meridian after a career in the Foreign Service specializing in international affairs, conflict management, governance, and cross-cultural communication. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Ambassador Wohlers as the Deputy Special Representative to the UN Multidimensional Stabilization Mission for the Central African Republic after serving as U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic for over three years. Before that, he served as Senior Advisor for International Programs at the Smithsonian Institution, Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy, Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the European Union, and Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
The release of Ambassador Wohlers’ culminating report of the Future of the American Diplomat is expected in July 2015 by the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.
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About Meridian International Center
Meridian International Center is a premier global leadership organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. Building on over 50 years of experience, Meridian provides the programs, approach, and environment for leaders to understand global issues and cultures, exchange ideas, collaborate on solutions, and build valuable relationships. For more information, please visit our website at meridian.org. To follow Ambassador Wohlers’ progress, follow: blog.meridian.org and @MeridianIntl.
