Ambassador Michael G. Kozak will be assuming the role of acting @WHAAsstSecty. Ambassador Kozak is a seasoned champion of American values and human rights, with a deep knowledge of the region. He will continue to promote the restoration of democracy to the people of Venezuela.
— Morgan Ortagus (@statedeptspox) September 12, 2019
Via state.gov:
Ambassador Michael Kozak is a charter member of the career Senior Executive Service of the United States Government. As such, he has served in a number of senior positions in the U.S. Executive Branch:
Acting Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs (2019-Present).
Senior Bureau Official for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (2017-2019).
Senior Adviser to the Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (2009-2017). Negotiated a UN resolution to replace “Defamation of Religions” that respected freedom of expression. Served as Acting Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combatting Anti-Semitism.
Senior Director on the National Security Council staff (2005-2009) with responsibility for Democracy, Human Rights, International Organizations, Migration and Detainee issues. In this capacity, he chaired interagency policy coordinating committees and proposed and coordinated the implementation of events for the President of the United States. He conceived and implemented a system for achieving interagency agreement on democracy promotion strategies and prioritizing resource allocation to implement them. He authored the first National Security Presidential Directive on Democracy and Human Rights since the Carter administration.
[…]
Ambassador in Minsk, Belarus (2000-2003), and Chief of Mission in Havana, Cuba (1996-1999).
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