Posted by Bob Traill
David D. Pearce, recently retired career diplomat in the U.S. State Department will discuss "Thirty-five Years in the U.S. Diplomatic Service: Rules to Live By."
 
Mr. Pearce was born in Portland, Maine, the son of Mary Jean and Duane Pearce, a highly-respected former member of our club, who passed away in 2014. 
 
David has lived and worked in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East for ten years as a journalist and 35 years as a diplomat, including service as U.S. Ambassador to Greece and Algeria. He is a graduate of Cheverus High School, Bowdoin College and the Ohio State University School of Journalism. Prior to joining the U.S. Foreign Service in 1982, he worked as a reporter and foreign correspondent for the Associated Press, the Rome Daily American in Italy and United Press International in Brussels, Lisbon and Beirut. He moved on to the Washington Post, as copy editor on both the foreign and metro desks and was a writer-editor for National Geographic.
 
Mr. Pearce has served in prominent and distinguished diplomatic positions in many countries, to include:
  • Vice Consul and Political Officer in Riyadh
  • Watch Officer in the State Department Operations Center
  • Country Desk Officer in Greece
  • Political Section Chief, U.S. Embassy in Kuwait
  • Liaison Officer with the Kuwaiti Government-in-exile, Saudi Arabia
  • Special Assistant to Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
  • Consul General in Dubai
  • Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy in Damascus
  • Director of the State Deparment's Northern Gulf Affairs (Iran/Iraq)
  • Served with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad
  • Mission Chief/Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General, Jerusalem
  • Minister Counselor for Political Affairs U.S. Embassy in Rome.
President George W. Bush nominated him to be the ambassador to Algeria in 2008 and he became the Assistant Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. After serving as the Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, he was nominated by President Obama to become Ambassador to Greece from 2013-16.
 
David is married to Leyla Baroody of Beirut, Lebanon, and they have two children and two grandchildren. Now based in Maine, they expect to divide their time between California and Maine. David has written a book on diplomacy and the media, entitled: "Wary Partners: Diplomats and the Media." He wants to continue to write and pursue life-long interests in drawing and painting. As a self-taught artist, he has been painting actively since 2008....his medium being watercolor. To observe some of his beautiful work, visit his website: daviddpearce.com.