Catherine Pierce

Catherine PierceS received AAFSW’s Lesley Dorman Award in 2018 for outstanding service to the organization. She was was elected President of the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW) in 2026 after serving as First Vice President since 2023 and EFM Employment Committee Chair since 2016.

In 2025, she received the Eleanor Tragen Award from the DACOR Bacon House Foundation for her work in creating, managing and expanding the Foreign Service resource portal FSHub.org.  She oversees the Champions of Career Enhancement for EFMs (CCE-EFM) Award, and advocates for EFM employment matters.

Catherine completed her seventh overseas tour in the Economic section at U.S. Embassy Montevideo, Uruguay in August 2026. Previously, she was the Community Liaison Office (CLO) Coordinator at U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq — where she supported the well-being and morale of a mission of 2,600 people from 40 countries. Her prior assignments include four years as an Economic Professional Associate at U.S. Embassy Beijing, China; and working for State, USAID, and FCS in Washington, D.C., Budapest, Islamabad, Mexico City, and Dakar.

Before joining the Foreign Service, Catherine was Director of Marketing and Communications for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at international IT companies based in Paris, France, her hometown. She speaks French and Spanish and holds a post-master's certificate in International Project Management, a Master's in Economics, and a Master's in English, all from La Sorbonne University in Paris. She has two children.