Joan A. Polaschik (born 1969) is a
diplomat
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
who has served as Director of the
Foreign Service Institute
The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) is the United States federal government's primary training institution for employees of the U.S. foreign affairs community, preparing American diplomats as well as other professionals to advance U.S. foreig ...
since 2022. She previously served as the
United States Ambassador to Algeria
The ambassador of the United States to Algeria is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Algeria.
Until 1962, Algeria had been under the dominion of France. Independence from France was formally ...
from 2014 to 2017.
Early life and education
Polaschik grew up in
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
. Polaskchik attended the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
, where she earned a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in Russian Studies and Foreign Affairs in 1991. She earned an
Master of Science
A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...
from
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
in foreign service.
Career
Polaschik joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1995. Her initial assignments brought her to Tashkent,
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
, and in 1997 she became a political officer at the embassy in
Tunis
''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois
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, population_metro = 2658816
, population_density_km2 =
, timezone1 = CET
, utc_offset1 ...
,
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
. In 1999 she became a staff assistant in the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. Her next assignments brought her to
Amman
Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...
,
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, where she dealt with the issue of refugees from the Iraq war and to
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
,
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
.
In 2009 Polaschik moved to
Tripoli, Libya
Tripoli (; ar, طرابلس الغرب, translit= Ṭarābulus al-Gharb , translation=Western Tripoli) is the capital and largest city of Libya, with a population of about 1.1 million people in 2019. It is located in the northwest of Libya o ...
, as deputy chief of mission. As the embassy's chargé d'affaires she coordinated evacuation of non-essential embassy staff and dependents. The embassy in Tripoli was then shut down, the first time in 12 years the U.S. closed a mission. Before the final evacuation, Polaschik stayed up all night destroying computers and sensitive information. After escaping from Libya, embassy staff reunited in Washington, D.C. and established an embassy-in-exile.
On September 11, 2012, the consulate was
attacked and four people, including Ambassador
J. Christopher Stevens
John Christopher Stevens (April 18, 1960 – September 11, 2012) was an American career diplomat and lawyer who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Libya from May 22, 2012, to September 11, 2012. Stevens was killed when the U.S. Special Missio ...
, were killed.
In 2013 she began an assignment as Director in the Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs with the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
Polaschik was nominated by President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
and
confirmed by the Senate July 29, 2014 as the
United States Ambassador to Algeria
The ambassador of the United States to Algeria is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Algeria.
Until 1962, Algeria had been under the dominion of France. Independence from France was formally ...
. Her term began August 14, 2014 and ended on April 27, 2017.
From 2017 to 2019, she served as acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. She spent the 2019-2020 academic year as a senior State Department fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy.
Polaschik joined the
Foreign Service Institute
The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) is the United States federal government's primary training institution for employees of the U.S. foreign affairs community, preparing American diplomats as well as other professionals to advance U.S. foreig ...
in February 2020, serving first as Dean of the School of Professional and Area Studies and then as deputy director. She served as acting director since January 2022. On May 20, 2022, Secretary of State
Antony Blinken designated Polaschik to serve as the 22nd Director of the Foreign Service Institute.
Personal life
In addition to English, Polaschik speaks French and Arabic, having studied Arabic at the Foreign Service Institute.
State Department: Joan Polaschik
U.S. Department of State, accessed April 1, 2016
See also
* List of current ambassadors of the United States
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polaschik, Joan A.
1969 births
Living people
Ambassadors of the United States to Algeria
American women ambassadors
Walsh School of Foreign Service alumni
Obama administration personnel
University of Virginia alumni
United States Foreign Service personnel
21st-century American women
21st-century American diplomats