Natalie E. Brown

Ambassador Natalie E. Brown joined the Smithsonian's Office of Global Affairs (OGA) in September 2023 following her assignment as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Uganda (2020-2023). She is excited to become a member of the OGA team and contribute to its efforts to promote meaningful change in the world through the research, creativity, and expertise of the Smithsonian, and to broaden and strengthen connections with international partners. Prior to joining the Department of State, Amb. Brown was a docent at the National Museum of African Art and is delighted for the opportunity to return to the Smithsonian. 

A career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister Counselor, Amb. Brown also served in leadership roles as the Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea; Deputy Permanent Representative and Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome, Italy; and Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia. Other overseas assignments include Jordan, Kuwait, Ethiopia, and Guinea. Domestically, she twice served in the State Department Executive Secretariat’s Operations Center, including as a Senior Watch Officer on September 11; was an International Affairs Officer in the Office of UN Political Affairs in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs; and was the Desk Officer for Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

Amb. Brown earned her B.S from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. and was awarded her M.S. from the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico, VA. She is the recipient of numerous State Department awards as well as a Distinguished Presidential Rank Award. She speaks French and Arabic and has studied  Amharic, German, Italian. and Tigrinya. Amb. Brown is an alumna of the International Women's Forum Leadership Fellows Program and the International Career Advancement Program (ICAP).