Program archives

Ambassador Schermerhorn's 35-year Foreign Service career included economic, political, staff, and program direction assignments in the Department of State, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Iran, the United Kingdom, Belgium (twice), and lastly as Ambassador to the Republic of Djibouti (1998-2000) during which the year-long Arta Somalia reconciliation conference sponsored by the Government of Djibouti took place.

Since retiring in 2001, she has continued her interest in Africa and the affairs of the Horn, with consulting assignments in Egypt, Somaliland, and Djibouti. She participated in election observation missions for Nigeria's April 2003 and April 2007 Presidential elections, Somaliland's September 2005 parliamentary election, and Kenya's December 2007 Presidential election.

She served from October 2003 through June 2004 as the Political Advisor to the commanding general of the U.S. Central Command's Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), based in Djibouti since 2003 and as Charge d'Affaires a. i. of the America Embassy in Banjul, The Gambia in summer 2007.

Ms. Schermerhorn is a graduate of the National War College at the National Defense University. She has participated in training exercises for personnel assigned to CJTF-HOA (2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009) and at AFRICOM headquarters (2008, 2009).