2022 World Affairs Council of the Year
Network of Independent World Affairs Councils of America
In an increasingly interconnected world, U.S. diplomats face a growing array of complex global challenges—from climate change and cyber threats to geopolitical tensions and humanitarian crises. As these challenges evolve, the question arises: Are our diplomats equipped with the tools, resources, and support they need to navigate them effectively? Against the backdrop of a transitioning administration, this discussion will explore the state of the U.S. Foreign Service, the key role diplomats play in safeguarding American interests, and what the future holds for diplomacy in a rapidly changing global landscape.
Venue:
Bass Berry & Sims
21 Platform Way South, Suite 3500 Nashville, TN 37203
*view driving directions & parking details*
A member of the Senior Foreign Service, Tom Yazdgerdi served from 2019 to 2023 as the AFSA State VP and is proud of the many wins that AFSA has gotten for our members. Before that, he was special envoy for Holocaust issues in the European and Eurasian Bureau at the Department of State.
Mr. Yazdgerdi has served as director of the Office of South Central European Affairs, political counselor at U.S. Embassy Kabul, head of U.S. Consulate Kirkuk, and deputy political counselor for Iran affairs at U.S. Embassy Baghdad. He also served as deputy chief of mission and political economic chief at U.S. Embassy Pristina during the run-up to and aftermath of Kosovo independence.
Before joining the Foreign Service in 1991, Mr. Yazdgerdi worked on Capitol Hill. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Central European history, security studies, and American diplomatic history from The Fletcher School at Tufts University.
Fletcher M. Burton retired from the U.S. Foreign Service after postings mainly in conflict zones: Berlin during the Cold War, Saudi Arabia during the Gulf crisis when Iraq invaded Kuwait, Bosnia and later Kosovo during the wars of Yugoslav dissolution, Afghanistan and later Iraq after the U.S. invasions. Burton received his BA from Amherst College and his Masters from Princeton University. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Bonn.
