George Alfred Kennedy

George Alfred Kennedy’s life experiences as a senior Foreign Service officer under five presidents have made him a keen observer of the human political animal. This career has informed his work in recent years as a political and economic analyst, social commentator, memoir writer, entrepreneur, humanitarian, and novelist. 

Kennedy’s historic rise as a Black man to the highest ranks of the Foreign Service occurred between 1963 and 1996. In volume I of his memoir From Cotton Fields to Summits, he gives much credit to his mother's early sacrifices and encouragement while growing up in New Jersey.

In volume II of his memoir The Rest of It, Kennedy continues the journey chronicled in volume I. During a retirement seminar sponsored by his former employer, the U.S. Department of State, Kennedy was encouraged to focus on the future –The Rest of It—while seeking to continue a life of service, adventure, and personal enrichment.

Prior to and during his diplomatic service, George served in Italy twice, Germany, France, Belgium, Korea, the Philippines, and Canada, and he traveled to a dozen other countries.  He acquired a working knowledge of the languages for his assignments.

In retirement, George and his wife, Anna, moved from the Washington, D.C. area to Arizona, where he has been actively engaged in his community, serving with the Marana Chamber of Commerce, and as a volunteer on several official committees of the Marana Town Government. A former board member of The United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, George also served as a public member representing Pima County on the Arizona Judicial Performance Review Commission (JPR). Since 2006, he has been a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arizona in Tucson where his focus has been on student engagement.