The story of diplomats in Georgia usually spotlights the 62 countries that have put representatives here, but in addition to attracting consulates and trade offices, 2009 showed that the state also could export diplomatic talent. 

Throughout his first year in office, President Obama appointed three Georgians as U.S. ambassadors while reshuffling State Department personnel to align with his foreign-policy goals. Two are already serving in their posts, while the most recent appointee awaits Senate confirmation.

GlobalAtlanta tracked their journeys to faraway lands this year: 

 

Michael Battle - African Union

In August, Michael Battle became the third U.S. envoy to the African Union, a body that speaks "as one voice" on issues that transcend solely national interests for the 53-country bloc, he told us in a November phone interview from the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 

Dr. Battle, who spent the past six years as president of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, said that democracy, health and economic ties are top priorities for the U.S. mission. Soon after his arrival, Dr. Battle had to condemn a coup in Guinea and a suspension of democratic rule in Niger, but he urged Americans to show patience as Africa travels the long road to democracy.

"We have emerged as the example of democratic governance, but it took us a long time to get there," he said. 

He also added that while the U.S. buys huge amounts of natural resources from Africa, it lags Europe in business and investment on the continent. 

"I think a lot of U.S. companies and a lot of the U.S. as a whole do not understand the advantages of engaging with the African continent," he said. With investment in infrastructure and policies that break down trade barriers, the land of more than a billion people has vast potential as a market for goods and a recruiting ground for human capital, he said.  

While focusing on global issues, Dr. Battle wasn't detached from the locale where he spent the last six years. At the end of our interview, he asked for updates on the heated mayoral race in Atlanta, which Georgia State Sen. Kasim Reed won in a December run-off with Atlanta City Councilwoman Mary Norwood. 

Full coverage: 

African Union Envoy: U.S. Lags Europe in Africa Business

Obama Taps Atlantan As African Union Ambassador

 

Jonathan Addleton - Mongolia

Although he embarked on a foreign-service career more than 20 years ago, Jonathan Addleton never expected to become an ambassador. 

Dr. Addleton worked in Cambodia, Yemen, Pakistan, Jordan, South Africa and Kazakhstan for the U.S. Agency for International Development, which helps countries fight poverty and institute democratic reforms. But rarely does someone with his AID credentials cross over to the State Department side, he told us in a November interview.

Dr. Addleton, whose deepest family roots are in Macon, has now returned as the top U.S. diplomat to a country where he previously spent three years working on economic development projects: Mongolia. 

We talked with him at his U.S. base, a home he owns on a forested plot just outside Macon. The house is on Ben Hill Drive, named after his grandfather, Ben Addleton, a farmer and railroad carpenter who bought 120 acres in the early 1940s near the Bibb-Jones County line.

We talked about his career and plans for the new post over coffee and muffins made by his parents, former Christian missionaries to Pakistan, where Dr. Addleton spent his childhood.

Mongolia's small population of 3 million belies its strategic importance, Dr. Addleton said. Sandwiched between Russia and China, it's in an important spot for a democratic ally.  It's also economically promising, with vast mining resources and significant potential for increased trade with the U.S. The two countries only swapped $100 million in goods last year. In comparison, Panama, with a similar population, has $5 billion in annual trade with the U.S.

Dr. Addleton expects to be in Mongolia for a three-year term; where his next post will be is anyone's guess. One thing is certain, though: In the U.S., Georgia will still be home.

See the full story with video: 

From Macon to Mongolia: An Ambassador's Journey

 

David Adelman - Singapore

David Adelman, a Democratic state senator from Decatur, was selected as Mr. Obama's ambassador to Singapore in November. The announcement of his appointment came just a week after the president made his first visit to the island nation during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's annual summit.

The attorney for Atlanta law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP has yet to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, but the possibility of his departure has already created a scramble for his seat in the state legislature. 

Mr. Adelman has declined our requests for comment on his nomination, but we caught up with one of his former Emory University law professors, now teaching at a business management university Singapore, who praised Mr. Adelman as a "good representative of the best qualities of America.”

Full coverage:

Atlantan in Singapore: Adelman Good Choice for Ambassador

Georgia State Senator Named Ambassador to Singapore