Tom Selinger Shares Portraits of American Diplomacy

RCB President Jeff Stone and Rotarian Mark Jackson with Tom Selinger

This week, the Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) welcomed retired diplomat Tom Selinger for a presentation entitled "Portraits of American Diplomacy." Drawing on his decades of service in the U.S. Foreign Service and his work with the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, Selinger shared stories that illustrated the role diplomacy has played in advancing American security, prosperity, and global leadership.

Selinger traced the origins of American diplomacy to Benjamin Franklin's efforts to secure French support during the Revolutionary War before highlighting the evolution of the modern Foreign Service. He shared examples of diplomats with Alabama connections who helped protect American citizens abroad, expand opportunities for U.S. businesses and agriculture, strengthen national security, and represent American values around the world. Selinger demonstrated the many ways diplomacy has shaped U.S. foreign policy and influenced international affairs over the past century.

Bio for Tom Selinger

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 as a Rotary International Exchange Student in Belgium. Tom is married to fellow diplomat Kirsten Selinger and has four children and three grandchildren.