The Public Service Project

Jared Banks spent over 20 years in the Foreign Service, serving in DC, London, Geneva, Kabul, Warsaw, Brasilia, and advancing U.S. priorities on issues like critical emerging tech, science diplomacy, peacekeeping, and human rights. He's here to talk about his background as an academic, his time serving in Afghanistan as his family stayed behind, and his experience of faith communities as anchors in each new location. While its form has changed, the spirit of service has not left Jared! He's leading a Great Decisions discussion group at his local library with resources provided by the Foreign Policy Association, and in doing so, creating a safe space for learning and the exchange of ideas. Can you think of anything better for democracy? For more on the program, click the link: https://fpa.org/great-decisions/

Brianna Clarke-Schwelm is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Global Health Alliance, a nonprofit organization striving to advance the state as a center of global health. Brianna has spent her career blending her love of rural communities (starting with the one that raised her) with her passion for access to public health as the foundation for a good life - one that includes safety, equity, and opportunity. Our conversation touches on everything from birth order and sibling dynamics, to the college courses we loved and loathed, to motherhood, sacrifice, and social safety nets. We studied topics like religion and philosophy and politics to better understand how we organize ourselves and serve each other (especially in vulnerable moments), and then we had babies and got them through a global pandemic, so in many ways, every moment of this winding conversation is circling the same question: How do we want to live, and what can we do to get there?Toward the end, Brianna tells us all about how NC is a center for global health, innovation, medicine and tech, and then she drops some wisdom about translating international experience to state and local contexts. Public servants from all walks, listen to that part twice!

I had the privilege of sitting down for the first LIVE recording of the Public Service Project at my alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill (GO HEELS!), with a fellow alum, the incomparably brilliant Jennifer Davis. Jen is currently a Distinguished Professor of Practice at the University of North Carolina, and former Senior U.S. Diplomat and Attorney. In 22 years with the Foreign Service, Jen did everything from consular services for Americans abroad, to advising at NATO, serving as Special Assistant and Executive Assistant to Secretaries Rice and Clinton, to serving as Consul General in Istanbul. Jen has been generous with her time, her energy, and her wisdom as a public servant, and she continues her service as she guides and inspires the next generation of policy professionals at the University.Nothing is off limits as we talk about Jen's early life in North Carolina, the sources of her ambition, and all the things she's reflecting on today.

Jose Mercado is a U.S. national security and foreign policy expert with 30 years of U.S. government service. He's a U.S. Air Force Veteran and Diplomatic Security Special Agent, specializing in democracy, human rights, and crisis response, and recently serving as Deputy Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. He's also a father, son, husband, friend, and a true public servant at heart. Jose happily shares the twists and turns of the military and diplomatic chapters of his career, and bravely uncovers the many layers of his experience with service: uncertainty, inspiration, pressure, pride, imposter syndrome, and confidence. We talk about TV and movies, soft power and hard power, regional and functional bureaus, and so many other things. This guy's family gave him roots and wings, and this episode is a bit of a tribute to them, to him, and to public servants everywhere.

Dylan Lang is a lawyer, social worker, and human rights activist with over a decade of experience working at the intersection of diplomacy, law, and social justice. Some may see these credentials and think, which is it? Lawyer? Social worker? Human rights advocate? And the answer is, exactly. Dylan has pursued his career and life with passion and vision, and each facet of his experience has improved his effectiveness in all other areas. In this episode, he talks about what it was like being out in the workplace, and having the unique privilege of advocating for the rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world. As someone who has Zoomed with Senators, written and delivered his own remarks on the floor of the United Nations, and prioritized service in every chapter of his career, Dylan has proven himself to be a powerful advocate for human rights. And he wakes up every day seeking new, creative ways to continue the work, which he seems to view as both a privilege and a responsibility. He is a true public servant, and a gem of a human being.

Dr. Abir Aldhalimi is a true systems thinker, who helps individuals along their path to healing after trauma, while she simultaneously works to co-create systems and structures that support better mental health and wellness for everyone. Her resume is beyond impressive (highlights below), but it pales in comparison to her wisdom and generosity as she draws from her own refugee experience and training as a clinical psychologist to guide others along their own path to healing and thriving.Dr. Aldhalimi specializes in psychotherapy and mental health policy. She's the Founder of Unknotted Mental Health, a Clinical Instructor at Yale School of Medicine, and a former Senior Mental Health Advisor for USAID. She's here to talk to us about trauma and healing, resilience, mental health policy and systems change, and so many other things.Dr. Aldhalimi's practice, Unknotted, provides innovative, integrated, and individualized mental health services to individuals and organizations. For more on Unknotted, and to access self guided resources that are especially useful for recently separated feds but also for anyone navigating change, visit the site and reach out to Dr. Aldhalimi: https://www.unknotted.com

Paul Kruchowski is a former senior U.S. diplomat and career member of the Senior Executive Service. In his final role at the State Department, Paul served as the Chief Operating Officer for Public Diplomacy, managing a $1.5 billion budget, and 5,000 person global organization. He's also an accomplished cellist, and in his post-government era, he's helping organizations integrate AI in a way that is people-focused, collaborative, and productive.In this episode, we talk about work life balance vs. integration; fractional work; personality and productivity; perfectionism; and what it takes to foster a healthy organizational culture. Paul also provides some unsurprisingly awesome advice for those navigating career transitions, and relays some wisdom about the efficient allocation of time and energy. He's an optimist, a pragmatist, a cellist... he's uncompromisingly honest and unfailingly kind.

Dr. Aubrey Paris is a national treasure, and that's fitting, since she is obsessed with the franchise. She's also a policy visionary (seriously), PhD scientist, author, and executive producer and creator of the award-winning podcast and community engagement series, National Treasure Hunt. You would think it would be intimidating to interview someone with this much #cred in this many areas (especially in podcasting) but if you spent 5 minutes with Aubrey, you would know that her wit and brilliance are only eclipsed by her kindness and authenticity. She is the queen of interdisciplinary thinking, a scientist who communicates and a communicator who... sciences? She's the poster child for Ursinus College and the manifestation of her parents' many defining qualities, all in one person - a realization that hit both of us on this show. She's never taken an IR or polisci class but she's out here crushing it, and not letting "it" crush her. Aubrey is a colleague turned friend, and by the end of this episode, you'll want her to be your friend, too.For more on National Treasure Hunt, including the America 250 Tour, go here: https://nthuntpodcast.com/

Brad Brooks-Rubin is his own multi-stakeholder initiative. He's a sanctions lawyer, a radio DJ and musician, a father, a husband, and a public servant. He's a fascinating person, whose work is so cerebral, so technical, but whose approach to his work and life is dynamic and oftentimes, spiritual. On this episode, we talk about Brad's experience as a Jewish lawyer-in-training working on human rights issues in the West Bank and Northern Israel with the Palestine Peace Project, and I challenge Brad to make sanctions make sense for those of us who are not technical experts and lawyers. Brad is dynamic, honest, and cool, and he has big plans for the future. At the end of the show, Brad previews the Changemakers Retreat - a collaborative project with his wife (another public servant), Liana. For updates on the retreat, reach out to Brad on LinkedIn.

Ambassador Tim Davis' career and life have been extraordinary. He carries with him a collection of memories and experiences that are reminiscent of Forrest Gump, and he also shoulders the weight of loss, grief, and trauma. He's honest about all of it, and at the end of the day, the word he chooses to describe it is celebration. His career has been a celebration of life, a challenge, an adventure, and a profound expression of humanity.His credentials are cool: Recent U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, former Executive Assistant to Secretaries of State Blinken and Pompeo, Consul General in Basra, Special Assistant to Secretary Clinton, Special Presidential Envoy to counter ISIL, and proud U.S. Marine, from a family of veterans. His experiences are unbelievable: from the great pirouette around President Obama, to meeting the late Pope Francis. But his honesty, courage, and vulnerability - particularly in sharing about his experience with trauma and the way it shaped his relationship with work - that's what makes this conversation special. My sincere thanks to Ambassador Davis for participating in this project, and for a lifetime of sacrifice, celebration, and service.

Christian Loubeau is a former U.S. diplomat, Teach for America public school teacher, and Associate Commissioner in NYC’s Department of Design and Construction. His diplomatic overseas postings included Haiti and Cuba, while his domestic postings included the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in NY, and the Office of Mexican Affairs in Washington, DC. His story is rooted in his multicultural upbringing, his experience being raised by parents in helping professions, and his perseverance - because if at first you don't succeed, apply, apply again! Chris is kind, funny, honest about the gifts and challenges that came along with his work, and clear-eyed about his personal goals and redlines. His warmth and humility are palpable, and he's openly sharing his public service journey, from his "aha" moment in the hills of Lebanon, to his current practice of service outside government. You'll want to be friends with Chris after listening to this one - and he'll probably welcome it!

Jessica Benton Cooney is a Senior Strategic Communicator and Storyteller who most recently ran the Communications team for USAID's Bureau of Democracy. Human rights, and Governance. She served with USAID overseas in Afghanistan and Liberia, and before that, with the Peace Corps in El Salvador. On this episode, Jessica is sitting down with us to share the tale of her near death experience in Liberia, her miraculous survival, and her decision to return to Liberia on her own terms. She's also passing along her wisdom on the art of storytelling, particularly when interviewing human rights activists and democracy defenders. AND her cat even weighs in on the power of intuition. We're just a couple of elder millennials, trying to make sense of the world. You don't want to miss this one!For more on Jessica's experience with cerebral malaria and the importance of foreign assistance programs like the Presidential Malaria Initiative, read the article that prompted me to contact Jessica: https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5265538-i-survived-cerebral-malaria-but-millions-of-others-wont-without-american-leadership/amp/

Alia Awadallah is a former U.S. Government official and Policy Analyst focused on the Middle East and Defense Policy. Alia most recently served on Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo's senior leadership team, and before that, as Policy Team Lead and Chief of Staff to the Deputy Under Secretary of the Army.What's extra cool is the fact that Alia has not only worked for the Departments of Commerce, Defense, and State, but also worked on campaigns, at think tanks, AND she found time to create the NextGen Initiative of Foreign Policy for America, because she wants other young leaders to have what they need to launch careers in foreign policy, as well.Alia is the quintessential public servant, and she's giving us a glimpse into the experiences that made her who she is.

Vedant Patel is a seasoned communications professional, most recently serving as a Spokesperson for the Department of State, and before that, for the White House. On this episode, Vedant walks us through his pivot from aspiring doctor into the world of politics, which initially stressed his parents as much as you'd imagine. He gracefully responds to my probing questions into the future of the Democratic Party, and then we spend some talking about the distinct (and ideally, mutually supportive) roles of political appointees and career public servants. Finally, I ask Vedant the question I have always wondered about being a spokesperson: Doesn't it totally suck being grilled by the press? His answer is unsurprisingly diplomatic.

On the final episode of Season 1, Dr. Dafna Rand (Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Fellow at MIT's Center for International Studies, and former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor) takes us on a journey through space and time, from Europe in the 1930s to Lexington, Massachusetts in the optimistic eras of the 1700s and the 1990s. Through her powerful storytelling, Dr. Rand offers her extensive foreign policy expertise, and a thoughtful, self-reflective, clear assessment of what could change and how if we were to do a little whiteboarding exercise for U.S. foreign policy. We talk about diplomacy as an art and a science, and the need for metrics to drive adaptive learning. Dr. Rand is brilliant, humble, and captivating, and she still believes so deeply in the American dream. This is the perfect end to this season, and bridge into the next.

In this episode, I'm talking with Greg Pollock: Adjunct Professor and former civilian leader at the Pentagon. He shares his thoughts on the implications of climate change on global security, the economic opportunities in climate adaptation, and the need for a clearer strategic vision guiding U.S. foreign policy. We touch on many doomy topics without losing hope that we can better align with our values, better design our vision, better innovate and adapt and practice what we preach.

Orna Blum is a recently retired Foreign Service Officer and strategic communications leader with expertise in public diplomacy, media relations, democracy building, and crisis management. She's a creative with #policycred, and she's here to share her own public service story, her thoughts on the ingredients required for a healthy democracy, and her advice on prioritizing and protecting your mental health - especially in public service careers. Listen up if you're mid existential crisis. I promise you'll feel inspired and seen.

D. Wes Rist is a kid from rural Pennsylvania who thought he'd be a doctor, but instead, decided to build a career and a life focused on atrocity prevention. He's worked everywhere from the American Society of International Law, to the Department of State, to the USC Shoah Foundation, and though his work may have taken him far from home, his public service journey has always been rooted in his family, his community, and his upbringing. The world is currently experiencing the highest levels of armed conflict witnessed since the end of WWII, so we're lucky to have Wes here to tell us a bit about the factors that increase the risk of atrocities, and the resiliencies that prevent them. If you're into the idea of averting catastrophe, listen in.

Ned Price served most recently as Deputy to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and before that as State Department Spokesperson. He has also been the Director of Policy and Comms at National Security Action, a Special Assistant to President Obama, a CIA Senior Analyst and Spokesperson, and an NBC News Analyst and Contributor. That's not even his entire professional history, but you get the gist: Ned has lived a life of service, and he's built an incredible career navigating and talking about tough issues. In this episode, Ned reflects on being raised to seek adventure, being shaped by the experience of witnessing 9/11 unfold from his college dorm, and navigating his way from the CIA to Spokesperson - from Spook to SPOX. He encourages us to embrace imperfection as a feature of our democracy, as we endeavor to form a more perfect union, and he shares his optimism about the next generation of public servants.

Alexis is a retired Foreign Service Officer who is reflecting on his 30-year career, which took him to Posts throughout Europe, East Asia, and Latin America. In this episode, Alexis shares his thoughts on the beauty of language, the role of strategic empathy, and the essentiality of thoughtful questions in the work of diplomacy.