In sharing the news Garrett posted:
After seven years working at the U.S. Department of State I will be leaving in the coming weeks.
It has been an incredible journey alongside my colleagues at the U.S. Department of State Center for Analytics and partners across the entire Department.
When we started there were only a handful of us in a cramped cube farm working off spreadsheets, R with no packages, and an Acess database – trying to do basic analysis on budget, personnel, and foreign assistance issues. The whole idea that the State Department could be “data driven” seemed farsical. When we pitched people on the idea of data science for diplomacy they often struggled to keep a straight face. Now State has put technology and AI at the forefront of its diplomacy and modernization.
It’s incredible what change 7 years of grit, some good fortune, and visionary leaders (I don’t mean me) can bring.
Without getting too sentimental, I’ll just say to my colleagues that I’ve woken up every day proud to serve alongside you. The culture of risk taking, trust, genuine care for one another, and commitment to the mission that we’ve built is precious and I know you’ll continue to cultivate it.
More from me soon on what’s next.
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