Breck Ardery joined Voice of America in 1984 after about 14 years at the ABC Radio Network. Breck has spent his entire VOA career in the New York Bureau, initially as a general assignment reporter covering everything from urban issues to trials to the visits by heads of state and the impact of New York institutions on the city and nation.
In 1988, Breck began to specialize in business and financial stories, covering spot news as well as producing background reports on business-related topics. He was able to follow closely issues such as the rise of globalization, the radical restructuring of U.S. corporations, the explosion of technology and the increasing importance of the stock market to average Americans.
In 1999, Breck made a major change by moving to the New York Bureau's United Nations office. He says the experience is providing a real education. "To me," Breck says, "the United Nations offers a fascinating mix of hard-nosed international politics and genuine idealism. While every member-nation obviously wants to advance its own interests, there is also a collective desire to help some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. And sometimes," Breck observes, "that desire is actually translated into something meaningful."