Tabor College alumnus and foreign ambassador Paul Folmsbee will return to his alma mater May 19 as the featured speaker for commencement exercises at Wiens Stadium.

Folmsbee has been ambassador to Mali, the eighth-largest country in Africa, 2015. Prior to his appointment, he was executive director for the Bureau of African Affairs in the State Department. He has spent a significant portion of his career in the developing world focusing on economic and social development, as well as serving as a civilian in active conflict zones.

The theme of his address, “Being Resilient,” is one that Folmsbee said has served him well in his career.

“Tabor gives students a solid moral compass in a world which otherwise can be a bit chaotic,” he said. “A graduate from Tabor will understand the importance of human values and the need to manage your life by those values.”

Folmsbee earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Tabor and a master’s degree in social anthropology from the University of Oklahoma. He also studied aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Folmsbee received a medal from the Polish government for his work with Polish troops in Afghanistan. He has received numerous State Department awards.