Taylor Smith is a Political Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Taylor spent 8 years as a nonprofit leader, spearheading programs for gender equality, human rights, and youth development in conflict-affected areas. She spent more than 5 years as Free to Run’s inaugural Executive Director, where she grew the organization to serve 7 regions of operation in Afghanistan and Iraq. Additionally, she’s worked with a number of grassroot organizations in Africa, Central Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East on humanitarian initiatives.

Prior to her NGO experience, Taylor worked as a freelance journalist covering human rights issues during the war with ISIS in Iraq. Her work has been published in the Washington Post and Al Jazeera English among other outlets. Taylor holds a MA in International Relations from Tufts University’s Fletcher School and two bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and Political Communication from Emerson College. Beyond her professional pursuits, Taylor enjoys trail running and mountaineering— especially alongside her Alaskan Malamute pup, Alu.