VESTNIEK - Key Persons
Brian E. Carlson is a public diplomacy specialist. Having served as American ambassador to Latvia in the George W. Bush administration and in many senior foreign affairs positions during a 40 year career in diplomacy and communication, he currently advises international media and audience analysis firm InterMedia Research Institute on strategic communication matters.
Carlson frequently speaks to public and civic groups across the country on public diplomacy and foreign affairs. He is a contributing author to the forthcoming Georgetown University Press book Mission Creep: The Militarization of U.S. Foreign Policy and co-author with Dr. Robert Banks of a 2014 study on the evaluation of diplomacy. He lectures on strategic communication at the National Defense University, the Naval, Air and Army War Colleges, and the National Foreign Affairs Training Center. He is a board member of the Public Diplomacy Council, the U.S. Baltic Foundation, and the Association of Crows Information Operations Committee.
A 1969 graduate of Vanderbilt University, Brian Carlson served 36 years in the U.S. Foreign Service, retiring as a Career Minister. His foreign postings included stints in Latvia (as U.S. ambassador), Spain, England, Norway, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Venezuela. After the Foreign Service, Carlson led several inspection teams in the Middle East and Washington for the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors.