Catherine Hill Herndon joined the U.S. State Department as an economic officer in 1985, retiring in 2019 as a Minister Counselor, having served in eight countries overseas in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. She also worked in Washington DC, and, in her last assignment, was the Policy Advisor (POLAD) to the Commander of US Central Command in Tampa, Florida.

Now a resident of Tampa, Catherine speaks to student groups, volunteers in Hillsborough County, and serves on the board of the Foreign Service Retirees of FL.