Brian E. Carlson

Who is Brian E. Carlson?

Brian E. Carlson is a public diplomacy specialist. He served as American ambassador to Latvia in the George W. Bush administration and he currently advises international media and audience analysis firm InterMedia Research Institute on strategic communication matters.

Carlson frequently speaks before public and civic groups across the country on public diplomacy and foreign affairs. He is a contributing author to the forthcoming Georgetown University Press book Mission Creep: The Militarization of U.S. Foreign Policy and co-author with Dr. Robert Banks of a 2014 study on the evaluation of diplomacy for the U.S. Department of State. He lectures on strategic communication at the National Defense University, the Naval, Air and Army War Colleges, and the National Foreign Affairs Training Center. He is a board member of the Public Diplomacy Council, the U.S. Baltic Foundation, and the Association of Crows Information Operations Committee.

Having first taken up flying in 2006, Carlson is now an FAA-certified commercial pilot with an instrument rating. He flies a Cirrus SR-22 out of Leesburg, Virginia as well as tailwheel aircraft and gliders. Since joining Reston Runners in 1998, Carlson has completed nine marathons in cities such as New York, San Diego, Riga, Daugavpils, and Washington, DC.