Episode 58 - Natalka Cmoc

On this episode, I’m joined by Natalka Cmoc, who just recently wrapped up her posting as Canada’s Ambassador to Ukraine. Natalka was born and raised in Ottawa to parents with deep Ukrainian roots. Growing up, she was drawn to archaeology and anthropology, inspired by a childhood trip to Greece with her parents where she saw excavations and realized that history could be interpreted beyond what textbooks had written. She studied physical and forensic anthropology at the University of Toronto before joining Canada’s International Development Agency. Over the past three decades, she’s served in Ukraine multiple times since the 1990s, worked on security programming following Russia’s 2014 invasion, helped launch Operation UNIFIER, and most recently served as Ambassador to Kyiv during Russia’s full-scale invasion. She just completed her posting and is still processing what it means to come home from a war zone. We talk about her family history, what it was like serving in Ukraine during wartime, and why she still feels Ukraine is home.Thanks again for listening to the NSP.NSP on LinkedInNSP on FacebookNSP on InstagramNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting CorporateNSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 1 - 18): RomanSenykMusic, Action TrailerNSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit granitestrategies.substack.com