Extra-Ordinary Woman: Ambassador Stephanie S. Sullivan

Women of Peace Corps Legacy interviews an “Extra-Ordinary Woman”, Stephanie  S. Sullivan, who was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Featured Guest:Stephanie S. Sullivan retired from the Foreign Service with the rank of Career Minister on December 28, 2025, after over four decades of service to the United States. She held three ambassadorial postings: to the African Union (2024-2025), Ghana (2018-2022), and the Republic of Congo (2013-2017). Ms. Sullivan’s first diplomatic tour of duty was in Cameroon (1986-88). She also served in Ghana as Political Chief (1997-2001). An important Ghanaian Adinkra symbol to Ambassador Sullivan is Nkonsonkonson. (Displayed on the bottom left of her image). It represents unity, human relations, and the importance of togetherness.Ms. Sullivan was Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs. She served as Acting U.S. Deputy Representative to the United Nations and earlier was Deputy Chief of Operations for Africa at the Peace Corps. She was Director of the State Department Operations Center (the 24/7 alerting, briefing and crisis management center) and served at the White House Situation Room. She was also desk officer for Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. In addition, she provided management support to colleagues at U.S. Missions to International Organizations and in Europe and the Western Hemisphere. She has degrees from Brown University and the National War College, and speaks French and Lingala. She and her husband live in Massachusetts and have two sons. Podcast Host:Kathleen Corey is past president of Women of Peace Corps Legacy.  She spent sixteen years with Peace Corps getting her start as a Volunteer in Liberia.  She has been Country Director in North Macedonia and Sri Lanka and held various headquarter positions responsible for opening Peace Corps China, Cambodia, and numerous countries in the Former Soviet Union.  As a retired diplomat, she currently teaches various courses to Department of State employees at the U.S. Foreign Service Institute.Women of Peace Corps Legacy (WPCL) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance women and girls empowerment to create a more just, equitable, inclusive, and safe world for future generations.  WPCL seeks to partner with and highlight the work of those existing organizations and programs that are effectively addressing the issues of women and girls.