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Diplomacy in Action

Senior Officials


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For all other officials, please see: List of Bureaus and Offices. You can also access a list of other principal biographies by name or title.

Under Secretary for Political Affairs -- William J. Burns Deputy Secretary: William J. Burns
The Deputy Secretary serves as the principal deputy, adviser, and alter ego to the Secretary of State; serves as Acting Secretary of State when called upon; and assists the Secretary in the formulation and conduct of U.S. foreign policy and in giving general supervision and direction to all elements of the Department. Specific duties and supervisory responsibilities have varied over time.
Term of Appointment: 07/28/2011 to present
Biography
  Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources: Vacant
The Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Department. The Deputy Secretary also serves as principal adviser to the Secretary on overall supervision and direction of resource allocation and management activities of the Department. The Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources assists in carrying out the Secretary's authority and responsibility for the overall direction, coordination and supervision of operational programs of the State Department, including foreign aid and civilian response programs.
 
Under Secretary for Political Affairs: Wendy R. Sherman
The Under Secretary is the Department's fourth-ranking official. She serves as the day-to-day manager of overall regional and bilateral policy issues, and oversees six geographically defined bureaus and two functional bureaus that report to the Under Secretary -- bureaus for Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Near East, South and Central Asia, the Western Hemisphere, International Organizations and International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.
Term of Appointment: 09/21/2011 to present
Biography
Under Secretary for Management Patrick F. Kennedy Under Secretary for Management: Patrick F. Kennedy
The Under Secretary for Management leads the bureaus of Administration, Consular Affairs, Diplomatic Security, Human Resources, Information Resource Management, and Overseas Buildings Operations, the Foreign Service Institute, the Office of Medical Services, the Office of Management Policy, the Office of Rightsizing the U.S. Government’s Overseas Presence, and the White House Liaison.
Term of Appointment: 11/06/2007 to present
Biography
Date: 01/17/2012 Description: Official portrait: Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine - State Dept Image Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs: Tara Sonenshine
The Under Secretary helps ensure that public diplomacy (engaging, informing, and influencing key international audiences) is practiced in harmony with public affairs (outreach to Americans) and traditional diplomacy to advance U.S. interests and security and to provide the moral basis for U.S. leadership in the world.
Term of Appointment: 04/05/2012 to present
Biography
Date: 04/27/2009 Description: Rose Gottemoeller © State Dept Photo Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security: Rose Gottemoeller, Acting
The Under Secretary leads the interagency policy process on nonproliferation and manages global U.S. security policy, principally in the areas of nonproliferation, arms control, regional security and defense relations, and arms transfers and security assistance.
Term of Appointment: 02/07/2012 to present
Biography
vacant position Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights: Vacant
The Under Secretary coordinates U.S. foreign relations on a variety of issues, including civilian security, democracy, human rights, and labor; legal protections; population, refugees, and migration; and trafficking in persons.
Date: 09/23/2009 Description: Robert D. Hormats © State Dept Image Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs: Robert D. Hormats
The Under Secretary serves as the senior economic official at the State Department; advises the Secretary of State on international economic policy; and leads the work of the Department on issues ranging from energy, trade, agriculture, and aviation to bilateral relations with America's economic partners.
Term of Appointment: 09/23/2009 to present
Biography
  Counselor of the Department: Vacant
The Counselor is a principal officer who serves the Secretary as a special advisor and consultant on major problems of foreign policy and who provides guidance to the appropriate bureaus with respect to such matters.



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