THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2024 51 Her efforts have not gone unnoticed. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that these fellowship programs “have transformed our department,” with fellows advancing U.S. interests in critical roles around the world, from special assistants to ambassadors. This transformation is due in large part to Scroggs’ dedication and vision. Her decades of leadership, mentorship, and advocacy have made the Foreign Service a more inclusive and effective institution, ensuring that the U.S. diplomatic corps is representative of the nation it serves. Patricia Scroggs joined the Foreign Service in 1986 and served for two decades. With a focus on the Asia-Pacific region, she served overseas in Tokyo and Seoul and held multiple D.C.- based positions in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, including director of the office of regional security affairs, special assistant to Assistant Secretary Winston Lord, and multiple desk officer tours. She also served in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs and in Mazatlan, Mexico. She was the 1990 recipient of AFSA’s W. Averell Harriman Award for Constructive Dissent. n She has fostered partnerships with senior department leaders, employee organizations, retired ambassadors, university leaders, and members of Congress and staff to build a robust network of champions and mentors to support these vital fellowship programs. Her personal mentorship of current fellows and alumni is a hallmark of her service. Over the years, Scroggs also forged partnerships with more than 50 universities to supplement fellows’ funding for graduate school, resulting in more than $4 million in additional assistance for the recent cohorts of Rangel and Pickering fellows. Scroggs’ commitment to the future of the Foreign Service is rooted in the vision of the 1924 Rogers Act, which sought to create a competitive and open Foreign Service, breaking barriers of race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. She has traveled across the United States, visiting both small towns and major cities, to recruit fellows and share the Foreign Service story with domestic audiences—aligning with AFSA’s mission to promote the importance of the Foreign Service at home.
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