Preserving Democracy with Ambassador James Story
September 17 at 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Drawing on his decades of work in the foreign service and senior-level diplomatic experience, Ambassador James Story will share his insights on current threats, resilience, and the future of Democracy in the Americas.
How are shifting political landscapes shaping the future of democracy in our hemisphere?
Join us for Preserving Democracy, featuring former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, James Story. Drawing on his decades of work in the foreign service and senior-level diplomatic experience, he will share his insights on current threats, resilience, and the future of Democracy in the Americas.
The program begins at 7:00 PM. Arrive at 6:00 PM for networking and complimentary hors d’oeuvres.
What to expect:
- Gain a deeper understanding of the forces promoting and undermining democracies across the Americas
- Learn about the key players and actors involved in preserving democratic norms and institutions
- Explore the threats to those norms and institutions and the factors driving them
- Learn about what’s being done, what more can be done, and how you can get involved in the effort to preserve democracy
- Engage directly with Ambassador Story during a moderated discussion and audience Q&A
Featured Speaker
Policy Briefing & Discussion
James “Jimmy” Story served as both Ambassador and Charge d’Affaires to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela from July 2018 until May 2023. In June 2024, Ambassador Story was nominated as Ambassador to Mozambique. While awaiting the nomination process, Ambassador Story taught as a Senior Fellow at Georgetown University and served as the Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy to Angola Sao Tome and Principe, as well as the Charge d’Affaires in Eswatini and to the Dutch Caribbean from Curacao.
A career Senior Foreign Service Officer, Ambassador Story served as Consul General in Rio de Janeiro; Director of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Office for the Western Hemisphere; Director of the INL Office in Bogota, Colombia; and Senior Civilian Representative in Southeastern Afghanistan.
Ambassador Story’s previous assignments include Sao Paulo as the Deputy Principal Officer and Political-Economic Chief; Brasilia as the Regional Environmental Affairs Director for South America; Washington, D.C. in the Office of Marine Conservation in the Oceans Environment and Scientific Bureau; Maputo, Mozambique as Economic-Political officer; Guadalajara, Mexico as a Consular Officer; and at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations as the Ambassador’s staff assistant.
He is the recipient of numerous State Department and interagency awards including the Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards, the Department of the Army Superior Civilian Service Award, the Warren Christopher Award for Outstanding Achievement in Global Affairs, the Distinguished Honor Award for the Western Hemisphere Bureau, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence Exceptional Service Award.
Ambassador Story grew up in the small town of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, and graduated with a B.A./B.Sc. in Interdisciplinary Studies from South Carolina College at the University of South Carolina. He also received an M.Sc. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. He speaks Portuguese and Spanish. He is married to Susan West Story, and they have a son, James McKelvey “Mac” Story.
This event is presented by the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh in partnership with the Latin American Cultural Center.
About the Civic Futures Series
Civic Futures is a yearlong series exploring how democratic societies endure in a time of global pressure and domestic division. Through global perspectives and local dialogue, the series brings together experts and community members to examine the forces shaping democracy and the role we all play in sustaining it.