Bernadette Meehan

Bernadette Meehan (born 1975) is the Chief International Officer for the Obama Foundation. She is a former American diplomat and former spokesperson for the United States National Security Council.[1]

Early life and education

Meehan was raised in Pleasantville, New York and graduated from Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers.[2] She attended Boston College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and has spoken about the influence of the Jesuit tradition on her life, saying "a Catholic education was fundamental in helping me develop curiosity, skepticism, discipline, respect for intellect, and a moral compass...[and] the Jesuit belief that talents, opportunities, and knowledge are gifts we can use to help others, helps guide me on my journey."[2] After graduation she worked on Wall Street, first at JPMorgan Chase and then Lehman Brothers.[3] Although she enjoyed her career in finance, she was always drawn to foreign affairs, saying a deep love of country and commitment to public service drew her to the Foreign Service.[2] [4][5] Of the Foreign Service she has said “The Foreign Service is nonpartisan, and I was proud to serve under Republican and Democratic presidents alongside some of the most knowledgeable, dedicated and brave men and women I have ever worked with. Every day these civil servants are working around the world -- with little fanfare and sometimes in dangerous conditions -- to protect American citizens and advocate for America’s interests."[6]

Career

Meehan joined the Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer in 2004, and began her new career as a Consular Officer at the U.S. embassy in Bogota, Colombia.[4] While assigned to Colombia, she survived a kidnapping and physical assault by armed men in Bogota in April 2006. Two of the perpetrators were arrested and sentenced to more than ten years in jail, while two perpetrators were never found.[7]

Meehan served in Colombia for two years before volunteering to serve in Iraq. She worked at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad from 2006 to 2007 as a Consular Officer, and for several months as Special Assistant to Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad.[4] She was wounded in the Little Venice neighborhood of Baghdad, by a rocket fired by an Iran-backed militia.[8]

In September 2007 Meehan left Iraq to study Arabic at the Department of State's Foreign Service Institute in Virginia to prepare for her next tour as the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Her job in Dubai was three-fold: to explain U.S. foreign policy to the local population; to promote the culture of the United States; and to enable exchange programs between Americans and Emiratis, such as the Fulbright Program and International Visitor Leadership Program.[4]

Meehan was selected in 2007 as a Powell Fellow, recognized as one of the 12 most promising future leaders in the Department of State.[5]

In 2010 Meehan returned to Washington DC to work as a State Department "Line Officer", advancing the Secretary of State’s overseas travel, as well as traveling as a member of the “Plane Team” that prepared the Secretary of State's briefing papers on foreign trips. She was then invited to become one of two Special Assistants to the Secretary of State.[4] In 2012, Meehan was detailed to the White House National Security Council (NSC) and in 2014 she became the Spokeswoman for the National Security Council.[9]

Meehan left the NSC to become an adjunct professor and State Department resident fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.[10] She was recalled to the NSC to oversee the planning for President Obama's historic trip to Havana, Cuba. According to The New York Times, her appointment to this position reflected the importance the President put on the trip and the complicated nature of planning the visit.[11]

In February 2017, Meehan departed the Foreign Service to serve as the Chief International Officer at the Obama Foundation.[12] The Obama Foundation is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization founded by President and Mrs. Obama that seeks out to inspire, empower and connect people to change their world for the better.[13] In this role she is responsible for developing and overseeing all international programs for the Obama Foundation, including the Obama Foundation Scholars;[14] Leaders Africa program; Leaders Asia-Pacific program;[15] and Leaders Europe program.

Meehan serves on the Board of Advisors for Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, within the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. The board represents a cross-section of distinguished individuals who, through accomplishments and standing in their career fields related to the mission of the Institute and the advancement and study of diplomacy, provide guidance on and support to the programs and activities of the Institute, and advise the director and staff on matters of policy and program development in order to strengthen the Institute.[16] She also serves on the Board of Advisors for Hostage US, a 501c3 non-profit organization that supports families of Americans taken hostage abroad and supports hostages when they return home.[17]

References
  1. O'Toole, Molly (5 February 2015). "White House Says Obama's New National Security Strategy a 'Compass' Through 'Shifting Security Landscape'". Defense One. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  2. "The gael fall 2015". Issuu.
  3. "Boston College Magazine » Winter 2013 » Linden Lane » Capital gains".
  4. Meehan, Bernadette (8 February 2012). "RealJobs: Bernadette Meehan". BC Affairs. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. Staff, Politico. "BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Bernadette Meehan, chief international officer at the Obama Foundation". POLITICO. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
  7. Tiempo, Casa Editorial El (November 3, 2006). "Cárcel a dos hombres por 'paseo millonario' a vicecónsul de E.U." El Tiempo.
  8. Rhodes, Ben (2018). The World As It Is. Penguin Random House. p. 229. ISBN 9780525509356.
  9. Grim, Ryan (20 January 2014). "White House Dares Democratic Senators Pushing Iran Sanctions To Admit They Want War". Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  10. "Georgetown Institute for the Study of Diplomacy".
  11. "White House and Cuba Maneuver Over Obama's Visit". The New York Times.
  12. "Obama Foundation Announces New Program to Train Emerging Leaders Across Africa". The Obama Foundation. April 23, 2018.
  13. "Our Mission". Obama Foundation. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
  14. "Coming to Columbia This Fall, Obama Foundation Scholars". The New York Times. June 28, 2018.
  15. "The Obamas to launch their foundation's 'Leaders: Asia Pacific' programme in KL this December". www.optionstheedge.com. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
  16. "Board of Advisors". Georgetown University.
  17. "Bernadette Meehan". Hostage US. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
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