As a U.S. diplomat with two decades of service, Vanessa Acker MPP 2005 uses her language skills, cultural fluency, and negotiation experience to advance U.S. interests and deepen ties with partners around the world. From early postings in the nation of Georgia to helping secure a high‑stakes prisoner exchange with Russia, she reflects on purpose, impact, and how her HKS education and global network continue to shape her work.
How did you become interested in public service?
My interests in international affairs and public service are deeply intertwined. Despite having never travelled abroad growing up as a kid in Texas, I became a serial exchange student—starting with a study abroad program in Latvia my senior year of high school and continuing with semesters abroad in France and Russia in college. I realized I loved the zap to the brain of culture shock and the challenge of blending in and becoming fluent in different languages and cultures while explaining the U.S. perspective to fellow students.
The Boren fellowship I received for study in Russia led to an opportunity to work for the State Department at the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, immediately after I graduated from college. This was the most fascinating and fulfilling work I could imagine—I spent over three years there and had the opportunity to negotiate bilateral agreements, organize big visits, and make great contacts across the Georgian government. I realized in this job that there was nothing more gratifying than using my language and people skills for a larger purpose, advancing U.S. policies and interests and building U.S. ties with other countries. I worked for several years in the private sector, but I soon returned to public service after realizing I needed a purpose beyond profit for my work to be fulfilling.
What is the goal of your work? What is the impact?
This year I will have served 20 years as a U.S. diplomat—at six different embassies and at the National Security Council and the State Department in Washington. The goals and impact of each job have varied (this constant change is another aspect of the foreign service I have loved!). Often the goals are part of a bigger effort, and the impacts are longer-term, so it’s hard to feel and appreciate the tangible effects.
The most gratifying moment in my career was the prisoner exchange with Russia in August 2024 that we worked on for months at the National Security Council. We worked across agencies and with allied countries to secure the release of 16 political prisoners— including three Americans—in exchange for eight Russian criminals and spies. Seeing people reunited with their families was emotional—the young daughters of journalist Alsu Kurmasheva hadn’t seen their mother in over a year, and her youngest daughter turned 13 the night the plane landed at Andrews Air Force Base with her mom and other Americans on board. As a mom of a kid the same age at the time, I couldn’t stop crying myself as she hugged her mom and wouldn’t let go. When I need to remind myself why things we do matter, I think about this moment.
How did your time at HKS influence you? What does the HKS community mean to you?
More than 20 years after graduating from HKS, my deepest friendships remain those with my HKS classmates. When I started the MPP program, I never could have predicted how important my HKS network would be for both my personal and professional life. Yes, the classes were great (shout out in particular to Professor [Christopher] Robichaud, then my ethics TA, whose discussions on ethical frameworks I still refer back to!)— but I also married an MPA/ID [Raul Abreu Lastra MPA/ID 2004] and have friends around the world from my time at the Kennedy School.
On the professional front, HKS grads are everywhere! An HKS alum in Mexico City [Bertha Angulo MPA 2002] helped me land my first job after grad school as a communications consultant, and in each of the countries I have worked, I have interacted with leaders who studied at HKS (the president of Ecuador [Daniel Noboa MC/MPA 2020], my current posting, is also an HKS grad!). I wouldn’t have the same knowledge, network, and friendships had I chosen a smaller, solely foreign policy-focused program—my fellow classmates and friends who were focused on topics like education, prison issues, journalism, and economics broadened my mind and enriched my life and career path.
“When I started the MPP program, I never could have predicted how important my HKS network would be for both my personal and professional life.”
Who or what inspires you?
I am in awe of people who eschew personal comfort and safety for a greater good. There are many noble people who put themselves at personal risk to advocate for their beliefs and for what’s right, people who aren’t necessarily in the public eye but who have inspired me over the years to try to help.
When I started the MPP program, I never could have predicted how important my HKS network would be for both my personal and professional life.