Scott Renner (International Affairs '86, Law '93) joined the U.S. Department of State in 1997 and he currently serves as the Consul General at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. His overseas postings include: Lagos, Nigeria; Santiago, Chile; Mexico City, Mexico; Warsaw, Poland; Bogota, Colombia; and Toronto, Canada. Scott also served domestically in the Department’s Office of Children’s Issues, including as the Office Director, from 2018-2021. Most recently, he served as Senior Advisor in the Office of Overseas Citizen’s Services from 2021 to 2022, working on the U.S. State Department’s response to international crises from Ukraine and Afghanistan to COVID. In 2018, Scott attended the National Defense University and earned a master’s degree from the Pentagon’s Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy. Prior to joining the U.S. Department of State, he worked as a Public Defender in Boulder, Colorado and proudly served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali from 1987-1989.
We emailed Scott in November, 2023 about his experiences being a diplomat for the U.S. Department of State and how his IAFS degree from CU Boulder has shaped his career. Read the full interview below!
What is your favorite memory at CU, either during undergrad or law school?
The Buffs beating #3 Nebraska 20-10 in Boulder for the first home win in my lifetime, and then celebrating at Tulagi's with the goal post.
You are currently a mentor in the IAFS Mentorship Program, paired up with our very own Sarah Wittemyer (IAFS ’24, IAFS Student Assistant). What made you decide to participate in the program? What are the most rewarding parts of the program? Why should IAFS students participate in the program?
I have loved being a mentor within the U.S. Department of State and after 30 years, I thought it was time to reengage with CU. Honestly, I have learned as much from my three mentees (including advice that applies to my current job) as they have probably learned from me. For IAFS students, as long as they are willing to commit to engaging in the program, it is a great opportunity to learn what is out there in the professional world and the wide variety of career possibilities, especially beyond the first job.
You have had a lengthy career in a variety of roles within the U.S. Department of State. What skills, knowledge, or experiences from your IAFS degree have you been able to use throughout your career?
I learned to think about a country’s challenges and assets in a critically organized way. Living in a foreign country, it is easy to be so much in the weeds and dealing with everyday life (trying to find a parking place in Mexico City) that you can miss the big picture. My education at CU has given me the skill to be able to pull back and really analyze what I am seeing.
What advice would you give to IAFS students or alumni interested in a career with the U.S. Department of State?
The State Department is a great place to have a career if you are adaptable and appreciate change. In my 27 years, I have had 14 different jobs, 15 different supervisors, and participated in three long-term training opportunities to learn Spanish and Polish and to receive a master’s degree. Moving and change can be tiring, but if you are open to new things, the career fits that.
Can you tell us about your time with the Peace Corps in Mali (1987-1989)? What was the most beneficial aspect of serving in the Peace Corps?
I absolutely loved my time in the Peace Corps. Although two years in a small African village was a bit like a two-year camping trip, it was an incredible experience that would have benefited and changed me whether or not I had ever worked overseas again. The best part, without a doubt, were the people who welcomed me, treated me like family, and even gave me an African name (Bakary Dembele).
You’ve lived in multiple countries from Canada and Mexico to Nigeria and Poland. What is one experience from your time abroad that particularly stands out to you? What has been the most challenging aspect of living abroad?
I have lots of stories, good and bad. The most challenging aspect is the little things like setting up internet, driving, or remembering to hang on to your beer cap in Africa to keep out flies. These things can wear you down if you let them. I love the unique stuff like sitting in an airport lounge in Lagos having a beer with my boss, a Nigerian official, and Jimmy Carter. Just hearing the ex-president of the United States have a “normal” conversation with two of my friends and be a real person was very enlightening and also humbling.
Where do you see yourself in five years? Do you plan to stay abroad, or have you considered returning to the United States?
Back in Boulder, bringing my international skills to a post State Department job in Colorado, and watching the Buffs march to National Championships in at least football and women’s basketball.