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About the Speaker

AMBASSADOR MARILYN MCAFEE (Ret.) majored in history at the University of Pennsylvania where she received her BA cum laude in history and at The Johns Hopkins University where she received her Masters degree. She served as a career foreign service officer for 31 years and received the Presidential Meritorious Award, the Superior Honor Award and the Distinguished Honor Award. She was promoted to the rank of Career Minister in 1997.

Assignments included 4 1/2 years in Iran and subsequently three years in Washington on the Iran Desk during the Revolution and hostage taking. She also had responsibilities for Afghanistan and Pakistan making multiple visits to both countries. Official travel included ten weeks in Israel and extended inspection visits to Russia, South Africa and China as Assistant Secretary General for Inspections, Office of Inspector General, Department of State. Since retiring, she has participated in World Affairs Councils of America special delegation visits to Morocco, Egypt, Jordan and in January 2009 to Baghdad at the invitation of Ambassador Ryan Crocker to meet with Iraqi officials and help launch the new U.S. – Iraq relationship. Democracy building and conflict resolution have often been a special focus in Ambassador McAfee’s assignments, many of which were in Latin America --Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Chile, including Bolivia where she was Deputy Chief of Mission with special responsibilities as Coordinator, Counter Narcotics Operations and Guatemala where she began her career and returned to serve as U.S. Ambassador 1993 - 96.

Since retiring from diplomatic service Ambassador McAfee served six years as President of the World Affairs Council of Jacksonville and currently serves as a member of the Council’s Advisory Board. She has also served on the National Board of the World Affairs Councils of America. McAfee is a member of the University of North Florida Foundation Board, the Board of Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Rotary International Foundation Board (Downtown Jacksonville) and is a former two-term Board Member of the Jacksonville Port Authority. In 2005 Ambassador McAfee was awarded the Florida Times Union’s Eve Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service.

Ambassador McAfee is listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who of American Women, Who’s Who in American Politics. She is a lecturer for National Geographic/Lindblad Expeditions and World Affairs Councils of America. Her home is in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl.