Appointment of Ambassador Joan Polaschik to serve as 22nd Director of the Foreign Service Institute

Office of the Spokesperson

On May 20, Secretary Blinken designated Ambassador Joan Polaschik to serve as the 22nd Director of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI).  A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Ambassador Polaschik has served as acting Director of FSI since January 2022. She has been a member of the FSI leadership team since February 2020, serving as the Dean of the School of Professional Area Studies and as the Institute’s Deputy Director.  Before joining FSI, Ambassador Polaschik was a Senior State Department Fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. Ambassador Polaschik previously served as Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. Ambassador to Algeria, and Deputy Chief of Mission in Tripoli, among other overseas and domestic assignments.

Ambassador Polaschik’s appointment underscores the State Department’s strong commitment to modernizing American diplomacy to advance the interests of the American people.  She will lead the Department’s efforts to develop the skills and training America’s foreign affairs professionals need to meet the rapidly evolving challenges of the 21st century.