David Mees is the liaison between the Department of State and the Smithsonian Institution. He facilitates collaboration between the two, helps inform U.S. Embassy personnel about the Smithsonian’s projects and resources, and explores opportunities for new joint ventures. Mees is a foreign service officer who started his career in the former Yugoslavia, where he did stints in Belgrade and Sarajevo. His specialty is public diplomacy, through which he promotes dialogue between Americans and educated audiences abroad.

He also worked in Tanzania, Pakistan, Iceland, Jordan, Italy, and most recently India, where he was Counselor for Cultural Affairs. He was born in The Netherlands and attended the alma mater of his mother, uncle, and grandfather: the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. He earned a Master’s from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. For fun, he takes photographs, collects carpets, and tries to play the piano.