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Gregory K. Larson

M.S. 1991Gregory K. Larson

My background and training is in both engineering and business administration. I chose these duel track programs so I would have the option of variety in my work. Before joining the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service in 1991, I worked as an Industrial Engineer and later as an Operations Manager with the General Electric Company, serving on assignments within the United States and in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia I designed a manufacturing plant, built and set up the plant - hiring staff, installing equipment, and later ran the plant. I also worked as an Engineering Manager for an Abrasive manufacturer and as a Plant Manager for an Australian Pharmaceutical manufacturer – responsible for plant engineering in the Canadian and Californian plants. Later I worked as an advisor to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health with a joint Economic Project (JECOR) in Riyadh.

Within the State Department Foreign Service, I served as a Facility Manager in Budapest, Hungary; Muscat, Oman; and Frankfurt, Germany. I served as Political/Economic Officer in Chisinau, Moldova and Bamako, Mali. Between Pol/Econ tours I attended the nine-month Economic Training Course at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia. In addition, I had two bridge assignments in the department, as Staff Assistant in S/NIS (2 months) and as Belgium Desk Officer (2 months). In each of these assignments I was seeking something new and different to learn and do. I have recently been assigned to a Trade position in the Department of State’s Economic Bureau in Washington D.C., responsible for trade issues in Africa and the Middle East.

I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering (1976) and a BS in Business Administration (1977) from the University of Kansas, a MS in Engineering Management from California State University, Northridge (1991) and have completed all but dissertation for a Doctorate in International Business from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.