22 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2026 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Service in 1982, few Black women were in its ranks. She grew up in segregated Louisiana, the eldest of eight children to hardworking but poor parents, and became a first-generation high school graduate in 1970. She graduated from Louisiana State University in 1974, one of the few Black students in her class. She went on to earn a master’s degree in public administration in 1975 at the University of Wisconsin (UW), where she also pursued doctoral studies, and then taught political science at Bucknell before joining the Foreign Service. Thomas-Greenfield is known for her relationship-building and problem-solving acumen and her leadership skills. In the course of overcoming challenges in her life and career, she developed what she calls “adversity muscles,” namely the ability to grow stronger in the face of hardship. She also learned to lead with kindness and compassion, and in her remarks at the AFSA ceremony, she called her unique approach “gumbo diplomacy,” which emphasizes building relationships through shared experiences—much like the process of creating the classic Louisiana dish. “Treating people well matters,” she says. “It will outlive the work we do.” Over the years, her strong community outreach and ability to connect with locals earned her the accolade “The People’s Ambassador” by local media in Liberia. “She has never met someone she cannot turn into a friend,” Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) observed during Thomas-Greenfield’s January 2021 confirmation for the post of ambassador to the United Nations, adding: “She is also battle tested and tough as nails, having overseen our responses in nations to some of the most complex and grinding crises in the world.” In retirement, Amb. Thomas-Greenfield joined the Albright Stonebridge Group as head of the Africa Practice and served as Distinguished Resident Fellow in African Studies at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy (20172019). She also co-chaired an advisory committee for the Council on Foreign Relations special report, “Revitalizing the State Department and American Diplomacy” (2020). Based on her own experience, she believes the U.S. Foreign Service should better reflect America and find strength in diversity. Throughout her Foreign Service career, as well as in retirement, Amb. Thomas-Greenfield has also been a devoted mentor, sharing her passion for diplomacy, her appreciation for the support of her own mentors, and her insight into overcoming challenges with young colleagues, students, and potential future diplomats. She credits her experience at UW for preparing her to succeed on the world stage, citing the school’s academic rigor, its international reach, and the ways it pushed Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield greets Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf before her meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on February 27, 2015. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and President Ellen Sirleaf enjoy a private chat in Monrovia. Thomas-Greenfield served as U.S. ambassador to Liberia from 2008 to 2012. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
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