Tom Selinger served 27 years in the U.S. Foreign Service with overseas tours in Kyrgyzstan, Denmark, Croatia, Albania, and Trinidad and Tobago and portfolios ranging from security cooperation to American citizen services. In his retirement, he works for the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, a nonprofit where he directs outreach efforts to promote public understanding of the work of America's diplomats. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, including combat service with the 101st Airborne Division during Operation Desert Storm, and worked as a locally-employed political specialist for the Canadian government at their Consulate in Minneapolis, MN. His interest in international affairs began during his time in Belgium as a Rotary International Exchange Student sponsored by the Rotary Club of Golden Valley. Tom is married to fellow diplomat Kirsten Selinger and has four children and three grandchildren.

Back in 1776, America's diplomats helped win the American Revolution, and over the past 250 years, they have continued to make our country safer, stronger, and more prosperous. Tom Selinger, a retired Foreign Service Officer, will share stories of how our diplomats have saved American citizens in peril, opened markets for products from our farms and factories, and built alliances to ensure our collective security and advance our ideals. He'll highlight diplomats from Minnesota and how their work has benefited communities across the state.