Tennessee Voices, Episode 327: Rachel Galloway, U.K. consul general to the Southeast U.S.
The deep ties that the United States has with the United Kingdom is called the "special relationship" and extends beyond language and centuries-old cultural connections and shared traditions.
Through the American Revolutionary War, the United States ceased to be a British colony, but today both nations are strong allies. Great Britain and the U.S have fought wars together, but they are also key trading partners. For example, Tennessee’s annual exports to U.K. total $1.9 billion.
On this episode of the Tennessee Voices video podcast, British Consul General to the Southeast U.S., Rachel Galloway, spoke about the relationship, her role and when she arrived to her post last summer, her eyes opened to Americans' fascination with the royal family.
Galloway, who is from Manchester, studied politics in college and entered the diplomatic service, holding posts in places such as The Balkans, the U.S. and Afghanistan. We discussed the dire situation concerning the education of Afghan girls after the takeover of the Taliban in 2021.
She shared about recent trips by Nashville delegations including chamber of commerce and health care officials to deepen ties to the U.K, while reminding viewers of the nonstop flight between London and Nashville.
In her role in the South, she is urging British business leaders to do business in that region, choosing Nashville, Atlanta or the Carolinas, for example, over the northeast or West Coast. Conversely, she urges Southerners to explore communities beyond London.
She also talked about the Road to Nashville, an effort between Music City and Liverpool to support mental health for creatives, including musicians.
Hear more Tennessee Voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns.
Sign up for Latino Tennessee Voices newsletter: Read compelling stories for and with the Latino community in Tennessee.
Sign up for Black Tennessee Voices newsletter: Read compelling columns by Black writers from across Tennessee.
About Tennessee Voices
The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.
Watch past episodes: Tennessee Voices videocast
Please email your ideas for future guests to me at dplazas@tennessean.com. Thank you for watching.
Finally, our journalists are working hard during this pandemic to bring you accurate, verified and solid information. Please consider subscribing and supporting local journalism.
David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and an editorial board member of The Tennessean. Tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Voices: Rachel Galloway, UK consul general to Southeast US
