Barbara J. Stephenson
{{Short description|American diplomat and university official}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Dr. Barbara Jean Stephenson
| image = DCM Barbara Stephenson (cropped).jpg
| imagesize = 150px
| caption = Stephenson in 2012
| order =
| office = Dean of the Leadership and Management School
at the Foreign Service Institute
| term_start = 2013
| term_end = 2015
| lieutenant =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1958}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| religion =
| profession = Diplomat
| party =
| footnotes =
| spouse = Matthew Furbush
| website =
| alma_mater = University of Florida
| children = 2
}}
File:US Navy 081215-N-9995B-002 U.S. Ambassador to Panama Barbara J. Stephenson delivers remarks during the handoff ceremony of Project Handclasp donations.jpg donations in Panama City, 2008]]
Barbara Jean Stephenson (born 1958)[https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/stephenson-barbara-jean Barbara Jean Stephenson (1958–)] is an American diplomat and university official. Stephenson served as president of the American Foreign Service Association from 2015 to 2019.{{Cite web|last=UNC Europe|date=|title=The Future of Europe: An American Perspective - Lecture with Roger Cohen, NYT|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=coziWQgansg|access-date=20 January 2021|website=Youtube}} She was formerly the Dean of the Leadership and Management School of the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia. Formerly, she was Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in London, and acted as Chargé d'Affaires following the departure of Ambassador Louis Susman.{{cite web|url=http://london.usembassy.gov/ukdcm.html |title=Deputy Chief of Mission | Embassy of the United States |access-date=2013-11-20 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105225722/http://london.usembassy.gov/ukdcm.html |archive-date=2013-11-05 }} She is the former United States Ambassador to the Republic of Panama. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and was appointed by President Barack Obama in the Summer of 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.clas.ufl.edu/events/news/articles/20080516-stephenson.html |title=English Alumna Named Ambassador to Panama | UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences News |publisher=Clas.ufl.edu |access-date=2009-02-20 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015211203/http://www.clas.ufl.edu/events/news/articles/20080516-stephenson.html |archive-date=2008-10-15 }}{{Cite book|last=Congress|first=United States|title=Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the ... Congress|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|year=2008|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=6494|language=en}}
Biography
Stephenson received her bachelor's degree, Masters, and Ph.D. in English all from the University of Florida.{{cite web|date=2008-05-28|title=University of Florida News - English alumna named ambassador to Panama|url=http://insideuf.ufl.edu/2008/05/28/english-alumna-named-ambassador-to-panama/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928143528/http://insideuf.ufl.edu/2008/05/28/english-alumna-named-ambassador-to-panama/|archive-date=2008-09-28|access-date=2009-02-20|publisher=Insideuf.ufl.edu}} She is married to Matthew Furbush.{{Cite web|title=Ambassador Barbara Stephenson President, American Foreign Service Association|url=https://www.afsa.org/sites/default/files/BarbaraStephenson.pdf|access-date=June 27, 2020|website=AFSA}} They have two children.
Career
Stephenson is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and holds the rank of Minister Counselor at the Foreign Service.{{Cite web|last=Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information|first=Bureau of Public Affairs|date=2008-08-05|title=Stephenson, Barbara J.|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/107736.htm|access-date=2020-06-26|website=2001-2009.state.gov|language=en}} She joined in 1985 and began her career in Panama as an economic and then political officer.{{Cite web|title=AllGov - Officials|url=http://www.allgov.com/officials/stephenson-barbara-j?officialid=29011|access-date=2020-06-26|website=www.allgov.com}} Stephenson served as Deputy Coordinator for Iraq at the U.S. Department of State. For her work - particularly the development and implementation of the civilian surge in Iraq - she won the State Department's Distinguished Honor Award.{{Cite web|title=Barbara J. Stephenson {{!}} UNC Global|url=https://global.unc.edu/directory/barbara-stephenson/|access-date=2020-06-26|website=global.unc.edu}}
In August 2009, Stephenson wrote in a leaked diplomatic cable that Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli had asked her for wiretaps on his political opponents in which she noted his "bullying style" and "autocratic tendencies". Martinelli's administration stated after the leak that "help in tapping the telephones of politicians was never requested" and that Stephenson was "mistaken" in her interpretation. Ambassador Stephenson's assessment was vindicated when {{cite web |url=http://www.sunherald.com/2015/02/02/6050607/panamas-ex-president-trots-globe.html |title=PANAMA CITY: Panama's ex-president trots globe, one step ahead of corruption probe at home | Business | the Sun Herald |website=www.sunherald.com |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150212223559/http://www.sunherald.com/2015/02/02/6050607/panamas-ex-president-trots-globe.html |archive-date=12 February 2015 |url-status=dead}} the Panamanian government ruled to press corruption charges against Martinelli and to prosecute two former Secretaries of Panama's National Security Council on illegal wiretapping charges.{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-27565945.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329175028/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-27565945.html |url-status=dead|archive-date=March 29, 2015 |title=Mexican request for U.S. help in drug war detailed |author=William Booth |date=December 27, 2010 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=4 November 2012}}{{Cite web |url=http://panampost.com/elisa-vasquez/2015/01/14/phonetapping-scandal-brings-down-martinelli-officials/ |title=Phonetapping Scandal Brings Down Martinelli Officials |access-date=2015-02-12 |archive-date=2015-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213015809/http://panampost.com/elisa-vasquez/2015/01/14/phonetapping-scandal-brings-down-martinelli-officials/ |url-status=dead }}
Stephenson became the first woman to be appointed deputy ambassador and acting ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in London.
After retiring from the Foreign Service, she presently serves as the Vice Provost for Global Affairs and Chief Global Officer at the University of North Carolina.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Barbara J. Stephenson}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20081015211203/http://www.clas.ufl.edu/events/news/articles/20080516-stephenson.html University of Florida Press Release about being named U.S. Ambassador]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20050113102303/http://www.wifak.uni-wuerzburg.de/fact00/fields/diplomatic_representation_from_the_us.html CIA Factbook info about Stephenson]
- [https://www.senate.gov/~foreign/hearings/2008/hrg080422p.html U.S. Senate info about appointment]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080928143528/http://insideuf.ufl.edu/2008/05/28/english-alumna-named-ambassador-to-panama/ Inside UF announcement]
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{{succession box|title=United States Ambassador to Panama|before=William A. Eaton|after=Phyllis M. Powers|years=2008–2010}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Barbara Jean}}
Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Panama
Category:University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences alumni
Category:United States Foreign Service personnel