Tag Archives: Michael T. Evanoff

Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security Michael Evanoff Resigns

July 15, 2020 By in assistant secretaries, Diplomatic Security, Functional Bureaus, Resignations, State Department, Top Ranks Tags: , , , ,

 

WaPo’s John Hudson is reporting that DS Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security Michael T. Evanoff has informed DS employees of his resignation with an expected departure next week. He reportedly has a new job at a “multinational company.  Mr. Evanoff who was a career special agent in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security from 1985 to 2011 was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security (DS) on November 3, 2017. Prior to his return to State in 2017, he was the Vice President for Asset Protection & Security for Walmart International, Inc. in Arkansas. He also previously served as Chief Security Officer at Coca-Cola HBC, in Zug, Switzerland and Athens, Greece, and as Global Director of Security at Och-Ziff Capital Management Group in New York.
This is the top security position at State so we hope a new nominee is announced and confirmed quickly but it is also likely that we may not see a new nominee until next year.  When DS appointee David Gordon Carpenter’s appointment ended in June 29, 2002, his successor, Francis Xavier Taylor  did not assume charge until November 18, 2002. Similarly, when DS appointee Richard J. Griffin‘s ended his appointment on November 1, 2007, his successor, career appointee Eric J. Boswell did not assume charge until July 8, 2008.
Traditionally, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) who is also the Director of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) assumes charge of the bureau in an acting capacity. That would be Todd J. Brown who has been in the bureau’s number two position since March 2018. However, given the appointment practices in this administration, we’ll have to wait and see who will actually becomes interim bureau head. We should note that despite the proliferation of political appointees in Foggy Bottom, DS is one bureau where the top leadership ranks are career officials (or former career officials). 

Michael T. Evanoff

Michael T. Evanoff Assumes Charge as Asst Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security

November 9, 2017 By in assistant secretaries, Diplomatic Security, Foreign Service, Functional Bureaus, State Department, Top Ranks Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted: 12:37 am ET
Updated: 11/9; 12:45 pm PT
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Former DSS Agent Michael T. Evanoff was confirmed on November 2 as Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security, and on November 7, he was back to lead his old bureau. There are some new names at the top ranks of Diplomatic Security, but the principal deputy slot appears to be vacant at this time. The names are from Diplomatic Security’s leadership page and may not be 100% accurate at this time (we heard one retirement that occurred last week, but the name is still on their page).

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security and Director of the Diplomatic Security Service — VACANT
The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security/Director of Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) is responsible for the Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s international and domestic operations and training programs.

Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director for for Countermeasures — Wayne B. Ashbery
The Deputy Assistant Secretary/Assistant Director for Countermeasures formulates security policy and plans for countermeasures in the areas of physical security, technical security, and diplomatic courier operations for the Department of State’s overseas and domestic operations and facilities. [biography]

Cyber and Technology Security — Lonnie J. Price
The CTS Directorate manges advanced cybersecurity programs and risk-managed technology innovation for the department. CTS provides advanced cyber threat analysis, incident detection and response, cyber investigative support, and emerging technology solutions for our department colleagues in headquarters and our missions around the world.

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director for Domestic Operations — James Murphy
The Deputy Assistant Secretary/Assistant Director for Domestic Operations is responsible for all Bureau of Diplomatic Security investigative programs as well as domestic protection programs and operations.

Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director for High-Threat Programs — Tim Riley
The Deputy Assistant Secretary/Assistant Director for High-Threat Programs is responsible for evaluating, managing, and mitigating the security threats, as well as the direction of resource requirements as high-threat U.S. diplomatic missions. [biography]

Assistant Director for International Programs — Christian J. Schurman
The Deputy Assistant Secretary/Assistant Director for International Programs is responsible for managing and directing all Bureau of Diplomatic Security programs and policies that protect the Department of State’s international missions and personnel from the threats of terrorism, espionage (human and technical), and crime. [biography]

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Director for Threat Investigations and Analysis — Bartle B. Gorman
The Deputy Assistant Secretary/Assistant Director for Threat Investigations and Analysis is in charge of all threat management programs within Diplomatic Security that analyze, assess, investigate, and disseminate information on threats directed against our facilities and personnel overseas and domestically.

Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director for Training — Scott Moretti
The Deputy Assistant Secretary/Assistant Director for Training oversees the Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s Offices of Antiterrorism Assistance, Training and Performance Support, and Mobile Security Deployments. [biography]

Executive Director for Diplomatic Security — Stephen B. Dietz, III
The Executive Director is the principal advisor to the Director of Diplomatic Security Service, and the Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security on the Bureau’s administrative, management, planning and resource issues, activities and programs. The Executive Director oversees and ensures the development and implementation of administrative and management policies, plans and procedures to ensure that the Bureau’s resources are allocated, administered, and accounted for in accordance with U.S. law and government regulations. [biography]

Senior Coordinator for Security Infrastructure — Donald R. Reid
The Senior Coordinator for Security Infrastructure oversees the Department of State’s Information and Personnel Security/Suitability programs and key aspects of its network cyber security program. Responsibilities include the management of classified information programs, oversight of the State Department’s Special Security Office, the operation of the Industrial Security program, and the investigation/resolution of security violations. [biography]

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Former Condi Rice Protector Michael T. Evanoff to be Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security

August 29, 2017 By in Foreign Service, Nominations, Officially In, Trump Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted: 12:18 am  ET
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On August 25, President Trump announced his intent to nominate former DSS agent Michael T. Evanoff to be the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The WH released the following brief bio:

Michael T. Evanoff of Arkansas to be an Assistant Secretary of State, Diplomatic Security.  Mr. Evanoff is the Vice President for Asset Protection & Security at International Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in Arkansas, a position he has held since 2014.  Previously he served as Chief Security Officer at Coca-Cola in Zug, Switzerland and Athens, Greece and as Global Director of Security at Och-Ziff Capital Management Group in New York.  He served as a special agent in the Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security from 1985 to 2011, holding senior posts with Overseas Security Advisory Council, NATO Office of Security, Secretary of State Protection Detail, and eight U.S. Missions overseas.  He was also diplomatic security liaison officer to the U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.  Mr. Evanoff earned a B.S. at Eastern Kentucky University.  He and his wife, Kate Milner Evanoff, have a two-year old son, Luke.

If confirmed, Mr. Evanoff would succeed Greg Starr who retired a week before inauguration (see Patrick Kennedy, Other Officials Step Down – Yo! That’s Not the “Entire” Senior Management, also see Top Diplomatic Security and Consular Affairs Officials to Step Down: Bill Miller, Kurt Rice, David Donahue, John Brennan).

WaPo profiled Mr. Evanoff in 2007 (see Rice’s Protector Plans a Move to NATO).   Below from his official NATO bio prior to his move to Walmart:

Prior to serving on NATO’s senior staff, Mr. Evanoff was the principal security advisor and Special Agent-in-Charge for the 100 plus protection team for the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.

Results driven senior executive with more than 24 years with the United States Department of State, Mr. Evanoff has served in a variety of overseas and domestic assignments that have focused on worldwide major events, overseas security program management, international and US military liaisons, criminal and counter-intelligence investigations, and dignitary protection. His overseas assignments include Islamabad, Pakistan(2001-2003), where he served as Counselor for Regional Security, including responsibility for U.S.interests in Afghanistan.

Mr. Evanoff was the Executive Director of the State Department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), a public-private partnership created to foster cooperation and promote the exchange of vital overseas security information between the U.S. Government and the U.S.private sector. As Executive Director, Mr. Evanoff more than doubled the number of OSAC Country Councils from 49 to 103 councils worldwide.

Mr. Evanoff was the first Diplomatic Security Service officer to establish a permanent liaison office with the U.S. European Command (EUCOM/NATO) in Stuttgart, Germany(1999-2001). Prior to that, he was the Senior Regional Security Officer in Rabat, Morocco, and the Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark/Reykjavik, Iceland. He also opened the new Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb, Croatia, and the new U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, where he worked with NATO and UN forces during the Bosnian conflict. Mr. Evanoff began his overseas career in 1990 as an Assistant Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.

Mr. Evanoff’s domestic assignments include Deputy Chief of the Protective Liaison Division, and Agent-in-Charge with the Office of Dignitary Protection. Mr. Evanoff also served as an instructor and team leader to DS’ Mobile Counter-Terrorism training unit. Mr. Evanoff’s first assignment was as an investigator in the Washington Field Office.

Mr. Evanoff was named the 2003 Diplomatic Security Employee of the Year for his exceptional work in Pakistanand Afghanistan. He is also the recipient of numerous Department of State awards, including four Senior Foreign Service Performance awards and three Superior Honor Awards. He was promoted into the Senior Foreign Service in 2003 and a graduate of the United States’ Senior Foreign Service Leadership Training School.

Mr. Evanoff received a Bachelor’s degree in Police Science from Eastern Kentucky University with a minor in Corporate Security. He was the recipient of an athletic scholarship and an active member of the school’s NCAA Division 1AA National Champion football team. Mr. Evanoff is a member of the International Organization of Chiefs of Police and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. He is an honorary member of the International Security Management Association.

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