We are pleased to announce that Elizabeth M. Allen, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State, will speak at a special evening reception taking place Tuesday, March 5 at the National Museum of American Diplomacy as part of the Global Ties U.S. 2024 National Meeting. This invitation-only event for leaders from the Global Ties Network will celebrate the centennial of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and the unique public-private partnership between the Global Ties Network and the diplomatic corps to address today’s most pressing global challenges.
Sworn in as the 10th Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy in June 2023, Under Secretary Allen began her U.S. Government career in the Office of Global Women’s Issues and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. Before assuming this role, she was the Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs.
A longtime communications and public diplomacy leader, Under Secretary Allen previously worked at the strategic advisory firm FGS Global, where she specialized in message and advocacy strategy, reputation and crisis management, and executive leadership communications on a range of international public policy issues. Prior to FGS, Under Secretary Allen spent seven years in the Obama-Biden White House, serving as Deputy Communications Director and Deputy Assistant to President Barack Obama, White House Director of Message Planning, and Deputy Director of Communications to then-Vice President Joe Biden. She also served as the Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The Global Ties U.S. 2024 National Meeting will take place from March 5-8. This is the premier annual gathering of international exchange professionals and supporters from government agencies, the private sector, nonprofit organizations, and academia. The 2024 National Meeting theme is Diplomacy in Action: Raising Community Voices.