Leah Thorstenson assumed duties as the Foreign Policy Advisor (POLAD) at U.S. Marine Forces South on August 28, 2024. She provides foreign policy advice and guidance to the Commander and other senior staff to assist in shaping and guiding the command's strategic efforts and operations in a way that is consistent with U.S. foreign policies and programs.
A career Foreign Service Officer since 2012, Ms. Thorstenson arrived at MARFORSOUTH after serving at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs’ Office of Andean Affairs. Overseas, she served at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico, Jakarta, Indonesia, Islamabad, Pakistan and the U.S. Consulate in Melbourne, Australia.
Before joining the U.S. Department of State, Ms. Thorstenson worked in supply chain management in the private sector. Originally from the great state of Texas, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from Clemson University in South Carolina and completed her Master of Business Administration from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona.