After Johns Hopkins, she began her eventual 31 year career as a foreign service officer. During her career, she spent four and a half years in Iran followed by three years in Washington, D.C. on the "Iran Desk" during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and hostage crisis. She was also responsibility for Afghanistan and Pakistan, both of which she visited multiple times. During her tenure, she spent ten weeks in Israel on official travel and also served as Assistant Secretary General for Inspections in the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of State, which necessitated her travel for extended inspection visits to Russia, South Africa and China.