The assistant secretary of state for global public affairs is the head of the Bureau of Global Public Affairs within the United States Department of State. The assistant secretary of state for global public affairs reports to the secretary of state and the under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs. The position was formed on May 28, 2019 with the merging of the Bureau of International Information Programs and the Bureau of Public Affairs by assistant secretary of state for public affairs Michelle Giuda.
The assistant secretary of state for public affairs was the head of the Bureau of Public Affairs prior to its abolition. The assistant secretary of state for public affairs reported to the secretary of state and the under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs.
History The position of Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs was first created in December 1944 as the Assistant Secretary of State for Public and Cultural Relations. It was later changed to Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs in 1946. Initially, incumbents supervised the forerunners of the United States Information Agency and the Voice of America. Under the Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011, the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs does not require Senate confirmation.
Historically, the assistant secretary for public affairs had a dual role as the spokesperson for the State Department. From 2011 to 2015, the assistant secretary and the State Department spokesperson were two separate roles held by different people. In late 2015, the two roles were once again merged with the appointment of Spokesperson John Kirby as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.
On May 28, 2019, the bureau merged with the Bureau of International Information Programs into the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, and the duties of the assistant secretary of state merged into the duties of the Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs.
Officeholders Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs #ImageNameAssumed officeLeft officePresident appointed by1Archibald MacLeishDecember 20, 1944August 17, 1945Franklin D. Roosevelt2William BentonSeptember 17, 1945September 30, 1947Harry Truman3George V. AllenMarch 31, 1948November 28, 19494Edward W. BarrettFebruary 16, 1950February 20, 19525Howland H. SargeantFebruary 21, 1952January 29, 19536Carl McCardleJanuary 30, 1953March 1, 1957Dwight D. Eisenhower7Andrew H. BerdingMarch 28, 1957March 9, 19618Roger TubbyMarch 10, 1961April 1, 1962John F. Kennedy9Robert ManningApril 11, 1962July 31, 196410James L. GreenfieldSeptember 10, 1964March 12, 1966Lyndon B. Johnson11Dixon DonnelleyMarch 22, 1966January 31, 196912Michael CollinsJanuary 6, 1970April 11, 1971Richard Nixon13Carol LaiseOctober 10, 1973March 27, 197514John ReinhardtApril 22, 1975March 22, 1977Gerald Ford15Hodding Carter IIIMarch 25, 1977June 30, 1980Jimmy Carter16William J. DyessAugust 29, 1980July 30, 198117Dean E. FischerAugust 7, 1981August 19, 1982Ronald Reagan18Robert John HughesAugust 20, 1982January 1, 198519Bernard KalbAugust 12, 1985October 8, 198620Charles E. RedmanJune 29, 1987March 1, 198921Margaret D. TutwilerMarch 3, 1989August 23, 1992George H. W. Bush22Thomas E. DonilonApril 1, 1993November 7, 1996Bill Clinton23James RubinAugust 7, 1997April 2, 200024Richard BoucherJanuary 5, 2001June 2, 200525Sean McCormackJune 2, 2005January 20, 2009George W. Bush26Philip J. CrowleyMay 26, 2009March 13, 2011Barack Obama27Michael A. HammerMarch 30, 2012August 30, 201328Douglas FrantzSeptember 3, 2013October 1, 201529John KirbyDecember 11, 2015January 20, 2017 -Susan Stevenson (Acting)January 20, 2017February 3, 2018Donald Trump30Michelle GiudaFebruary 3, 2018May 28, 2019
Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs #ImageNameAssumed officeLeft officePresident appointed by1Michelle GiudaMay 28, 2019March 3, 2020Donald Trump2Aaron RingelSeptember 14, 2020January 20, 2021 -Nicole Chulick (Acting) January 20, 2021June 11, 2021Joe Biden -Mark Stroh (Acting)June 14, 2021August 20, 20213Elizabeth M. AllenSeptember 13, 2021April 4, 2022 -Elizabeth Trudeau (Acting)April 4, 2022February 15, 20234William M. RussoFebruary 15, 2023April 6, 2024 -Mark Toner (Acting)April 6, 2024June 28, 2024 -Kristin Kane (Senior Bureau Official)July 1, 2024September 16, 2024 -Stephanie C. Sutton (Acting)September 16, 2024January 20, 2025 -Michele P. Exner (Acting)January 20, 2025March 19, 2025Donald Trump5Michele P. Exner March 19, 2025January 25, 2026 - Dylan Johnson (Acting)January 26, 2026January 30, 20266Dylan JohnsonJanuary 30, 2026Present
References
External links Official Website Archived version of the 2009-2017 Website