Ambassadors Connect at Bethesda Senior Living Community

The role of an ambassador typically requires their presence at locations all over the world, but you can find a group of them at any time at Fox Hill retirement community in Bethesda.

William Harrop is one former ambassador who currently lives at Fox Hill. He spent nearly 50 years with the U.S. Foreign Service and served as U.S. Ambassador to Guinea, Kenya, Seychelles and Israel. Since moving to the senior living community in 2009, he’s made friends with many of his neighbors who also served the U.S. government in their careers.

William noticed that because of their backgrounds, the seniors who live at Fox Hill are particularly interested in current events and foreign affairs. He decided to organize a foreign affairs discussion group. William was initially unsure of how it would be received, but the monthly discussions have grown to nearly 50 people, and are some of the most highly attended events at the community, mostly because of the speakers William brings in. His connections in the political world have allowed him to bring in high-caliber speakers, creating a series that rivals lectures at Ivy League universities.

This month’s speaker is Walter Cutler, who served 34 years in the U.S. Foreign Service and was ambassador to Tunisia, Iran, Congo and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, among others. He’ll discuss the current relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17, and how the countries are coping with crises and transition, including the recent change in Saudi leadership and growing Islamic State tensions.