On Sunday morning - Feb. 8 - 2015 - Professor Dennis Jett - who served for twenty eight years as a career diplomat for the U.S. - state department delivered an exciting, one hour lecture. He served as an ambassador to Peru and Mozambique as well as holding a position of a Deputy Chief of Mission in Malawi, Iberia, Argentina and Isreael while currently - he teaches at the Department of International Affairs at Pennsylvania State University.
Mr. Jett outlined with a lot of humor and self-deprecating wit - all the perks and hardships connected with professionally serving the U.S. interests - abroad. With the excellent enumeration of betw. $160 and $180 thousand dollars per year - come a lot of expected and unexpected - hardships -notwithstanding the sexy and prestious sounding position of an ambassador. The main challenge to this glamorous post would take a form of a General Inspection report generated regularly - which can harshly evaluate the ambassadors - depending on the political motive of the "evaluators." Some ambassadors - quickly resign their posts - upon receiving a poor report - deserved or not.
The audience at Pittsburgh's - Squirrel Hill - Beth Shalom temple - asked a lot of interesting questions - skillfully handled by Mr. Jett.
