Katherine Ho
Regional Director of the Office of Foreign Missions in Houston

Life in the U.S. Foreign Service can be tremendously rewarding and yet very challenging. What is it like being a professional diplomat serving the U.S.? What are some of the realities that U.S. foreign service professionals face while serving in embassies and consulates abroad? How does their work change when serving inside the U.S.? What are their main responsibilities and how do they represent the complex and diverse country like ours with constantly shifting international priorities and execute our foreign policy? You will hear the answers!

Katherine “Kat” Ho is currently the Regional Director of the Office of Foreign Missions in Houston. She leads a team in overseeing over 350 foreign missions and 3,100 foreign mission personnel spread throughout eight states (Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas). As an American diplomat (commissioned Foreign Service Officer) with over 12 years of experience within the U.S. Department of State, Kat served in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe in various challenging positions. Her most recent positions managed global crises and threats in collaboration with the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, State’s 24/7 Operations Center, and the White House’s Situation Room.

While serving as Lead Economic Officer on the United Kingdom Desk during Brexit, Kat coordinated with the National Security Council and National Economic Council to launch the U.S.-U.K. free trade agreement negotiations. While serving in Riyadh, she finalized the U.S. Saudi Open Skies Agreement that opened commercial aviation between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Kat is the recipient of numerous awards for her outstanding contributions in advancing diplomacy for the U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Kat practiced business law at one of Houston’s largest law firms.

A native Texan, Kat is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese, and has working proficiency in Arabic. She has a J.D. from UCLA School of Law, MA from Johns Hopkins University, and BA from Vanderbilt University. Kat specializes in international economics, law, and national security.

Please reserve your tickets by Noon on October 8, 2024 (Tuesday) because we need to give the headcount to catering staff in advance! For ticket and membership information please visit our website: www.worldaffairstexas.com For more information, please contact: Dr. Anantha Babbili, WACST President & CEO, at 361.563.5177 or at ananthasbabbili@yahoo.com. Only a limited number of tickets are available to be purchased at the door with cash or check on the day of the event.

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