A Diplomat's Journey from the Middle East to Cuba to Africa: Ambassador Joseph Sullivan

Growing up on the far side of Boston in Dorchester, Joseph Sullivan could never have imagined the career he eventually had. But with his parents' encouragement he studied at Boston Latin School and Tufts and Georgetown Universities and entered an increasingly diverse Foreign Service. His thirty-eight-year career included assignments in Mexico, post-revolution Portugal, Israel, Cuba, South Lebanon, Angola, and Zimbabwe. These countries shared common features of excitement, uncertainty, fascinating cultures, and people. In Washington, Ambassador Sullivan worked on controversial policy issues in Central America and Haiti. This book recounts Joe Sullivan's story in interview form.


As a senior diplomat, Joseph Sullivan rose to the positions of ambassador to Zimbabwe and to Angola, chief of the U.S. mission in Havana, Cuba, and deputy assistant secretary for Latin America. He chaired the Israel-Lebanon Monitoring Group and was Special Haiti Coordinator. Ambassador Sullivan is a Career Minister and won two Presidential Distinguished Service Awards. He assembled and edited the book, Embassies Under Siege and published articles in "Orbis" and "The Diplomatic Record." Joseph Sullivan also served at Georgetown and Tulane Universities. While at Tulane, he coordinated international aspects of the U.S. response to Hurricane Katrina. He has two sons, Patrick and Sean.