As a diplomat for the U.S. Department of State, I help engage, inform, and influence both American citizens as well as foreign societies in order to promote mutual understanding and support for U.S. policy goals. As an award-winning social media strategist and speaker, I enjoy promoting the U.S. Department of State's digital marketing initiatives and working with the "brand" that is the United States of America. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, I garnered experience in the banking, accounting, and retail industries and with both traditional and new media mediums.Created in 1781, the U.S. Department of State currently maintains diplomatic relations with 190 countries. The U.S. Department of State's mission is to shape and sustain a peaceful, prosperous, just, and democratic world, and foster conditions for stability and progress for the benefit of the American people and people everywhere.