32 MARCH 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL budgets, and they therefore get the benefits of hosting big international events, bringing in tourists, or collaborating on shared challenges. The Lewis Local Diplomat program we have started is trying to fill that void. It makes sense to have Foreign Service officers posted locally here [in the U.S.], and it’s a great training opportunity for them as well. (The Pearson program used to do this, but Pearson fellows are all detailed to Capitol Hill now.) We’ve had great enthusiasm from Foreign Service and Civil Service officers about getting a chance to have a unique experience in the State Department, to see the immediate impact of their work. AFSA: The incoming administration has promoted a more “America First” vision. How would you pitch the work of your office to the new administration? Critics of subnational diplomacy efforts have said it is being implemented in a partisan way. How would you address that? NH: First of all, I take extreme issue with the accusation that our work has been partisan. That is just not true. We work to engage with local leaders of all parties. And in terms of the argument to keep it going: Subnational diplomacy is a tool. Mayors, county supervisors, and governors want to know whom to call when they need help, and it makes sense to use the federal government to help them. Making local officials more resilient to PRC approaches, fentanyl, cyberattacks—these are bipartisan issues. The incoming administration may not make climate and democracy a focus— those were the priorities of the Biden administration. You need to look at the intersection of what local officials want and what the priorities of the new administration are. AFSA: We’ll turn to the audience for questions. Here’s one: The Foreign Commercial Service [FCS] strategically places Foreign Service officers and trade specialists throughout the U.S. to promote trade and commercial diplomacy at the subnational level. How is your office interacting with them? NH: We encourage local diplomats in the field to find the local Commercial Service office and get to know them. We suggest mayors and governors talk to their local Commerce office. We also work with the SelectUSA team to encourage local leaders to go to that annual event. We’re very happy that FCS is out there. AFSA: How would you recommend college students or recent graduates get involved in foreign affairs at the state level? And how can retired diplomats participate? NH: For the first question, I would say an internship is a good place to start—and many of them are paid in cities or states. My office always wants interns as well, so that’s another good place to start. And there are several internship programs that the State Department runs—specify that you want to do subnational diplomacy. Just getting a sense of the way these places operate, which is very different from the federal government, is really good knowledge and will set you up later to move into subnational diplomacy. It’s interesting that you mentioned retired Foreign Service officers, because I have many times thought that, but we have Making local officials more resilient to PRC approaches, fentanyl, cyberattacks—these are bipartisan issues. Special Representative Nina Hachigian. OSKAR DAP PHOTOGRAPHY
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