For Episode 012, Jason and Emily are joined by Ambassador Elisabeth Millard, a career diplomat in the Foreign Service who most recently served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. The mission of a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service is to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the U.S. abroad. Ambassador Millard led a full life of travel before and during her storied career and she talks about the role of foreign service officers; starting a career “later” while finding family and job balance; her priorities as Ambassador to Tajikistan; her approaches to leadership; and the “secret” of the Foreign Service Exam.

Ambassador Millard is a naturalized US citizen who served State Department roles in Prague, Copenhagen, India, Nepal, Morocco and Kazakhstan as well as two stints at the White House. From 2016-17 she served as the US Ambassador to Tajikistan, in Central Asia bordering both Afghanistan and China. Her parents were both medical doctors, her late husband Captain Millard was a Naval Intelligence Officer with 30 years of service. She is a mother and grandmother who continues to serve her adopted country with distinction. Her life and family exemplifies servant leadership that is at the core of what this podcast is all about, and it’s an honor to have her on the show.

Links:

012 - Ambassador Elisabeth Millard, Former US Ambassador to Tajikistan