Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM EDT / 6:00 PM CDT / 5:00 PM MDT / 4:00 PM PDT
Format: Virtual Event (Zoom)
About the Event
Join us for a live NFTGA webinar exploring how U.S. embassies are structured and operate. Three highly accomplished U.S. Foreign Service Officers—with over 100 years of combined experience—will share practical insights especially valuable to tour guides, tour directors, and tourists traveling abroad.
What we’ll cover:
- What emergencies warrant contacting the U.S. Embassy
- Assistance and information embassies can provide
- Action steps for lost passports and deaths abroad
- Handling unexpected contingencies on the road
- Interactive Q&A following the presentation
🎟️ Registration: Register to receive the Zoom connection details for this virtual session.
https://tourguidesofchicago.com/event-6866988
📹 Can’t attend live? A recording will be available for 30 days following the session and sent to your designated tour guide association contact(s).
Featured Speakers
- Ambassador Cynthia H. Akuetteh A Foreign Service Officer for nearly 35 years, Ambassador Akuetteh retired from the State Department in 2018 after serving as Ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe (2014–2018). Her previous roles include Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Africa, Director for Africa in the Bureau of Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Chief of Mission in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, and Director for Central Africa.
- Ambassador Shaun Donnelly Ambassador Donnelly retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2008 following a 36-year career in international economics, trade, and development. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Deputy Ambassador in Tunisia and Mali, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East, and spent eight years as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.
- Senior Foreign Service Officer Sigrid Emrich (Economic Cone) Retiring in March 2025 after 35 years with the State Department, Officer Emrich's overseas postings included China, Switzerland, Canada, Germany, and Mexico. In Washington, she focused on North American trade policy, Mexican economic issues, Central European affairs, and human resources, while also instructing incoming personnel at the Foreign Service Institute.