Established in 1976, the Akron Roundtable is a community forum that inspires and promotes dialog by presenting speakers who inform and educate listeners on diverse topics of importance to the region, the nation and the world. To date, more than 400 major corporate executives, writers, government officials, artists and civic leaders from around the country have shared their ideas with the region.

Each Akron Roundtable event will be recorded by media studies students working for the Z-TV television station, with guidance from PBS Western Reserve and Ideastream producers, offering a valuable, hands-on learning experience for the students. 

All AKRON ROUNDTABLE episodes are available to stream on-demand at PBSWesternReserve.org or the PBS App following their broadcast premiere.

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Thursday, March 26, at 6 PM

From Barberton to Moscow and Points Beyond - a Local Diplomat's Journey
Lynne Tracy, Retired, Senior Foreign Officer, U.S. Department of State

Ambassador Tracy (ret.) is a Barberton native whose diplomatic career of more than 30 years with the U.S. State Department took her to some of the world’s most difficult and dangerous foreign policy assignments. She will talk about some of her family and hometown influences that led her to a life of public service and how those influences helped her succeed in Russia, Armenia, Pakistan and points beyond in representing the American people and U.S. interests abroad.

About the Speaker

Lynne M. Tracy is a retired U.S. Department of State senior Foreign Service Officer with 31 years of diplomatic experience. She was Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2023-2025) and Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia (2019-2022).

Prior to that, she served as Senior Advisor for Russian Affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, 2017-2018 and was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia, 2014-2017. Her other leadership positions include Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Asia in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 2012-2014, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 2010-2011. She was Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, 2006-2009 and Principal Officer at the U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Astana, Kazakhstan, 2004-2006. Other overseas assignments include a tour in Kabul, Afghanistan (2002-2003).

Ms. Tracy is the recipient of a Presidential Rank Distinguished Service Award (2024), the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award (2017), and the Secretary of State’s Award for Heroism (2009).

She earned a B.A. in Soviet Studies from the University of Georgia (1986) and a J.D. from the University of Akron (1994). Ms. Tracy was born and grew up in Barberton, Ohio.