Ambassador Susan S. Jacobs (Retired) was the Special Advisor for Children’s Issues at the Department of State from 2010 until her retirement in 2017. During her tenure, she traveled to more than 40 countries to discuss International Parental Child Abduction and Intercountry Adoption. In addition, she led U.S. delegations to international conferences and commissions concerned with issues effecting children. A career diplomat, Ambassador Jacobs joined the Foreign Service in 1974 soon after married women were allowed to serve as officers. Throughout her career, she held various overseas postings including Israel, India and El Salvador. Prior to her appointment as Special Advisor, Ambassador Jacobs served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs and as Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Ambassador Jacobs received her Bachelor degree from the University of Michigan and did graduate studies at Georgetown University Law School and George Washington University. She is married to Barry Jacobs, also a retired diplomat and has three children and four grandchildren.