No Man Is An Island: Lessons Learned As A Legislator And A Diplomat
Ambassador Jeff Flake
Ambassador Jeff Flake’s (BA ’86, MA ’87) political career is a byproduct of his BYU education. He finished his MA in political science while interning on Capitol Hill as part of BYU’s Washington Seminar program. Two years later, he put his BA in international relations to use in the African country of Namibia, where he directed a foundation assisting Namibia’s independence process.
In 2000, he ran for Congress and won a seat representing Arizona’s sixth congressional district, where he served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He won a Senate seat in 2012, joining the Committee on Foreign Relations and chairing the Subcommittee on Africa. After retiring from the Senate, Jeff was nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye, where he helped secure Sweden’s accession to NATO. In appreciation, he was awarded Knighthood by the Government of Sweden.
Jeff and his wife, Cheryl, are parents to five children. They divide their time between Arizona, where he directs ASU’s Institute of Politics, and Utah, where he is Chair of World Trade Center Utah.
Students in the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences gain Experience Points for attending this lecture. Learn more about Experience Points.