A CU alumnus, Daniel Bennett Smith, will be beginning a new role as U.S. ambassador to Greece, according to a U.S. embassy news release.
According to the press release, Daniel Bennett Smith attained his B.A. in history from CU and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University before he began his political career, holding several positions.
Tori Peglar, the director of communications for the Alumni Association, said that Smith’s achievement continues a tradition of international success by CU Alumni.
“One of the first [CU] students to go to the Olympics was David Bolen,” Peglar said. “He ended up having this long career as an ambassador, back in the fifties. I think Daniel is continuing this tradition.”
As a career officer of the Senior Foreign Service, Smith has fulfilled the duties of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs and Deputy Executive Secretary, according to the press release.
Additionally, according to the release, Smith most recently served as Executive Secretary of the State Department.
According to AllGov.com, a website providing news on over 300 branches of government, Smith also wrote a book in 1990 titled “Toward Internationalism,” which focuses on New Deal foreign economic policy.
Smith also taught political science at the U.S. Air Force Academy from 1993 to 1995, according to AllGov.
Smith has received multiple awards, according to the release, including the Arnold L. Raphel Memorial Award, the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award, a Presidential Meritorious Service Award, and various other Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards.
Smith arrived in Athens, Greece on Sept. 12 to commence his duties as ambassador, according to the Embassy’s press release.
Peglar said that she believes Smith is a good representation of the approximate 4,000 CU alumni who are working and living abroad.
“We have alumni all over the world doing amazing things,” she said.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Devon Barrow at Devon.barrow@colorado.edu.
