The Belgian American Chamber of the South is the presenting sponsor of Global Atlanta's Belgium Channel. Sign up here for monthly newsletters on Belgian trade and investment connections to Georgia.
Hall Booth Smith P.C. is the presenting sponsor of Global Atlanta's Europe Channel. Subscribe here for monthly Europe newsletters.
When Eline Goovaerts left Atlanta last month, it wasn’t all tears: During a sendoff event, the deputy head of mission for Belgium recalled with humor her surreal arrival in the city four years earlier.
Soon after touching down in May 2021, the new “trainee diplomat” went searching for a COVID-19 vaccine at a Walgreens drive-thru.
One problem: She didn’t have a car, and for the pharmacist behind the glass, a foreign young woman walking up to the window for a shot seemed absurd.
“And my hatred of drive-thrus was forever cemented,” Ms. Goovaerts said to laughter at Belgian Consul General Katherine Raeymaekers’s residence in Buckhead.
But the next day, her Atlanta experience was redeemed during an in-person inoculation event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where she first felt a jolt of the city’s energy, a “wow” factor that persisted.
“And that feeling honestly never left me again throughout my four years here,” she said.
Eventually, she also got a form of revenge, biking or taking MARTA to the consulate’s Downtown offices every day in the notoriously highway-happy city.
“So it turns out you don’t need a car after all,” she quipped, recounting how she and her husband, Bram Vandenbroucke, “dove into” the 10 Southern states covered by the consulate during their busy yet rewarding time here.
Taking a poignant rhetorical turn, Ms. Goovaerts noted how privileged she was to work under two consuls general, in concert with a strong local staff that supported her personally and professionally.
For Ms. Raeymaekers, the consul general here for less than a year, the feeling was mutual, noting that Ms. Goovaerts’ knowledge of the local landscape was invaluable and would make many of her consular colleagues “jealous.”
“You have been a key pillar of the consulate,” the consul general said, adding that she was sure Ms. Goovaerts would make a good “ambassadrice” one day. “Your work ethic, your knowledge, your friendliness have really driven our team spirit.”
Ms. Goovaerts’ pointed to highlights from her tenure including helping execute a historic trade mission led by Princess Astrid in 2023, organizing participation in the Atlanta Pride Parade, helping bring in a Battle of the Bulge art exhibition and collaboratively contributing to the growth of the European Film Festival of Atlanta.
She now finds herself in Poland, where she serves as consul and head of administration at the embassy in Warsaw.
In a stroke of irony, she swapped places with the diplomat who has replaced her here: Consul Jannes Dewulf, who arrived with his wife and two children in early August.
In a Q&A posted by the consulate on its LinkedIn page, Mr. Dewulf said he was excited about the prospect of focusing solely on consular and administrative work, while exploring the nature and culture this region has to offer.
“I chose Atlanta because I truly admire the beauty of the region, the warmth of its people, and the pleasant climate,” Mr. Dewulf said. “It’s a vibrant and welcoming place that immediately feels right. Covering 10 states from here is a rewarding challenge, and I’m excited to connect with Belgians across the Southeast!”
The Dean Rusk International Law Center at the University of Georgia is the presenting sponsor of Global Atlanta's Diplomacy Channel. Subscribe here for monthly Diplomacy newsletters.