Diplomat visits GCSU

Jan. 24—Rachel Galloway, His Majesty King Charles' consul general to the United States, already knew the relationship between America and the United Kingdom was special when she took up her post in Atlanta a year and a half ago.

A chance encounter inside a grocery store not long after Galloway's arrival only served to magnify just how special the relationship is.

"About four weeks after I arrived, the Queen passed away," Galloway recalled. "I was in Kroger having a conversation with my husband when a gentleman came up to me and said, 'You're British.' He took my hand and said he was so sorry about the Queen. It happened again and again. It was really touching and showed that people here feel that relationship and care about it."

Galloway is one of seven consuls general the UK has in the US, not including the country's embassy in Washington, D.C. They are strategically spread around in highly-populated areas: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco. Diplomats like Galloway have the role and responsibility of continuing to foster relations between the two friendly countries as well as aiding their countrymen and women when passport issues arise. As far as building relationships, sometimes that's done by helping businesses — British ones interested in locating in America or vice versa — through trade discussions. Sometimes it's through representing the home country at noteworthy events in the state and around the region. And sometimes it's by serving as a guest speaker on a college campus, which is what Galloway was in town for Monday.

Georgia College & State University welcomed her as part of the university's Usery Forum on Leadership. The series exposes students to leaders in various fields and serves as a molding opportunity during their college experience. Galloway shared her own experiences with leadership, both good and bad, and reminded students of the UK's Marshall Scholarships. The program pays for up to 50 American graduate students to study at a UK university each year. Efforts like the Marshall Scholarships create unofficial diplomats as the two countries want their friendship to permeate down into younger generations. GCSU sent one student across the pond in the 2019.

"We want more to apply, and that's one of the reasons we're here today," said Galloway. "We want to tell them about the UK and tell them about the opportunities. We want those students to come back to America to work and use what they've learned but have a lifelong relationship with the UK."

Another major opportunity for cultural exchange will occur in a couple of years when 11 American cities, including Atlanta, play host to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Visitors will come in droves from Britain and other competing countries for the world sporting event.

"That's an absolutely fantastic opportunity for British people who have never been to this part of America to see it and understand it," Galloway said.

The Atlanta consul general's diplomatic background includes four years spent as the former Queen's ambassador to the Republic of North Macedonia. While there the country was undergoing a name change due to a dispute with Greece. Galloway worked closely with American officials to find a solution to the name issue and helped prepare North Macedonia to become a member of NATO.

So what does it take to be a good diplomat, one whose career entails living in a country other than one's own?

"A willingness to eat whatever's put in front of you," Galloway said with a laugh. "The South is quite good. I imagine it's a challenge if you don't like chicken."

She added later, "I genuinely think it takes a willingness to actually talk and listen to people so you can understand their experiences."

Listening goes a long way toward understanding why differing of opinions occur, like whether tea should be hot or iced. On that non-hot-button issue, the two friendly nations will just have to continue agreeing to disagree.