Tag Archives: swearing-in

New Ambassador David Fischer Assumes Charge at U.S. Embassy Morocco

February 6, 2020 By in Ambassadors, NEA|Near East Asia, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , , ,

 

 

Via state.gov/hr

SUBJECT:            Ambassadorial Nomination:  Certificate of Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service Act, Section 304(a)(4)

POST:                  Kingdom of Morocco

CANDIDATE:       David T. Fischer

David T. Fischer, a prominent businessman and community leader in Michigan, has been involved in his family automotive dealership group and related entities since 1967.  He became President and CEO in 1975, and principal owner in 1978.  In 2017, his title was changed to Chairman & CEO.  Known today as “The Suburban Collection,” Mr. Fischer’s organization has become one of the largest privately held automotive dealership groups in the United States.  It represents most automotive manufacturers, both domestic and foreign, including over 90 active, automotive related entities.  This organization also operates state-of-the-art collision centers, accessories distribution centers, fleet management and retrofitting services throughout the United States and Canada.  Recognized for his leadership, problem solving and fiscal management, Mr. Fischer has forged and managed a large organization of highly talented and loyal personnel, while dedicating time and resources to the welfare of his community, the arts and education through the support of 80 charities in the past 24 months alone.

In addition to leading The Suburban Collection, Mr. Fischer has been Chairman Emeritus, North American International Auto Show, Detroit (1990-Present), Co-Chairman, North American International Auto Show, Detroit, (1988-1989), Board of Directors, GMRC Holdings, Limited, Hastings, Christ Church, Barbados (2008-2013), Director, North Metro Board of Directors, Michigan National Bank, Troy, Michigan (Mid-to-late 1980s), Board of Trustees, Oakland University, including two terms as Vice-Chairman and one term as Chairman (1992-2008), and Director, Regional Board of Directors, Michigan National Bank, Troy, Michigan (Mid-to-late 1980s).  He has held ownership stakes in more than a dozen additional companies.  Serving local government, Mr. Fischer has been a Member of the Judicial Tenure Commission in Detroit (2012-2017).  Highlighting his community service, Mr. Fischer has joined the Boards of numerous academic, cultural and social welfare institutions and foundations.

Mr. Fischer earned a B.A. at Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa, in 1967 and participated in the CEO President’s Seminar at Harvard College, 2015-2017.

We’ve Only Just Biegun: Pompeo Swears-In New Deputy

December 23, 2019 By in Mike Pompeo, Political Appointees, Pompeo, Secretary of State, State Department, Top Ranks Tags: , , , , , ,
Secretary Pompeo swore-in Stephen E. Biegun as Deputy Secretary of State on December 21, 2019. The State Department has posted his official bio on state.gov (see below). No word yet on when he will start on his new role as Acting Secretary of State (word on Twitterverse seems to be “when” not “if”). Without a nominee for Deputy Secretary for Management, it is likely that the new deputy secretary will be dual-hatted, unless, management has been delegated to Pompeo-pal and  Under Secretary for Management, Brian Bulatao.

On August 23, 2018, Secretary Pompeo appointed Stephen E. Biegun as the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, responsible for leading U.S. efforts to achieve President Trump’s goal of the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea, as agreed to by Chairman Kim Jong Un at the Singapore summit. As Special Representative, on behalf of the Secretary of State he directed all U.S. policy on North Korea, led negotiations, and spearheaded U.S. diplomatic efforts with allies and partners.

Biegun has three decades of experience in government in the Executive and Legislative Branches, as well as in the private sector. Through his extensive career in foreign policy and business, he has excelled in tough negotiating settings. Most recently, Biegun was vice president of International Governmental Relations for Ford Motor Company, where—as a third generation Ford employee—he oversaw all aspects of Ford’s international governmental interactions including throughout the Indo-Pacific Region.

Previously, as national security advisor to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, he provided analysis and strategic planning for the U.S. Senate’s consideration of foreign policy, defense and intelligence matters, and international trade agreements. Prior to that, Biegun worked in the White House from 2001-2003 as Executive Secretary of the National Security Council. He served as a senior staff member to the National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice, and performed the function of chief operating officer for the National Security Council.

Before joining the White House staff, Biegun served for 14 years as a foreign policy advisor to members of both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. During this time, he held the position of Chief of Staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations from 1999-2000. In addition, he served as a senior staff member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs for 6 years.

From 1992 to 1994, Biegun served in Moscow, Russia, as the Resident Director in the Russian Federation for the International Republican Institute, a democracy-building organization established under the National Endowment for Democracy.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1963, Biegun graduated from the University of Michigan where he studied Political Science and Russian Language. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served on the boards of the National Bureau of Asian Research, the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, the U.S.-Russia Foundation for Economic Development and the Rule of Law, and Freedom House.

SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas Swears-In U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau

September 16, 2019 By in Ambassadors, Foreign Service, Mike Pompeo, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , , ,

 

The new U.S. Ambassador to Mexico had a ceremonial swearing at the State Department officiated by SCOTUS Associate Justice Clarence Thomas last week.
Ambassador Landau was officially sworn in as United States Ambassador to Mexico on August 12, 2019. His bio says that after graduating from law school, he clerked for then-Judge Clarence Thomas of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.  He later clerked for Associate Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States during the 1990 and 1991 terms.
His father, George Walter Landau (1920–2018), a career Foreign Service officer, served as U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay from October 13, 1972–October 14, 1977. Ambassador George Landau who also served as U.S. Ambassador to Chile and Venezuela passed away last year.
The new ambassador speaks fluent Spanish, and earned a Certificate in Latin American Studies at Harvard College.  He was born in Madrid, Spain, and attended the American School of Asunción, Paraguay, for five years.

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Pompeo Swears-In David Schenker as Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs

September 3, 2019 By in assistant secretaries, Mike Pompeo, Regional Bureaus, State Department, Top Ranks Tags: , ,

 

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Swearings-In: Satterfield (Turkey), Landau (Mexico), Blanchard (Slovenia)

August 21, 2019 By in Ambassadors, EUR|Europe, Staffing the FS, U.S. Missions, WHA|Western Hemisphere Tags: , , , , , ,

 

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico

U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia

D/Secretary John Sullivan Swears-in New U.S. Ambassador to OSCE James Gilmore

June 28, 2019 By in Ambassadors, international organizations Tags: , , , ,

Help Fund the Blog | Diplopundit 2019 — 60-Day Campaign from June 5, 2019 – August 5, 2019

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OSCE via Creative Commons Attribution – No Derivative Works

 

Secretary Pompeo Swears-In Brian Bulatao as Foggy Bottom’s New “M”

May 28, 2019 By in Appointments, Functional Bureaus, Mike Pompeo, Pompeo, Secretary of State, State Department, Trends Tags: , , , , , , ,

 

U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo swears in Brian Bulatao as the new Under Secretary of State for Management with T. Ulrich Brechbühl, State Department Counselor in attendance at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on May 17, 2019. [State Department photo by Michael Gross/ Public Domain]

Now that the new under secretary for management has been confirmed, it’s a good time to revisit Mr. Bulatao’s testimony before the U.S. Senate (see excerpt below).

The culture of empowerment created greater organizational agility and a workforce that was unleashed to take on problem sets in new ways. I certainly didn’t come up with every idea, instead I empowered our team to consider how we could do it better, fail faster, and take smarter risks. Across the board, we embraced a spirit of innovation in order to boost the speed and precision of a large organization operating in a dangerous and competitive environment.

If confirmed as the Under Secretary for Management, this is the same approach I intend to bring to the U.S. Department of State. The Department’s hard-working, patriotic, and dedicated teams deserve to have an organization that optimally utilizes their talents. And the American people must have confidence that the State Department makes the best use of their resources and provides the best practical support for our diplomatic initiatives that rely on the strength of our alliances, partnerships, and engagement.

If confirmed, I appreciate the broad management responsibility I will have for the Department’s more than 76,000 personnel – Civil Service, Foreign Service, and Locally Employed Staff – and my direct supervision over 12 bureaus and offices. These women and men serve our country in some of the most challenging places around the world, and risk their lives daily, whether serving in war zones, amidst criminal violence and disease outbreaks, and with the threat of terrorist attack. They work long hours, often separated from their families, to advance our nation’s foreign policy and support the work of diplomacy.

There is no question that the safety and security of our personnel and their families must be the highest priority. I know Secretary Pompeo cares deeply about and works hard to protect his people.

I will ensure that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security has the resources, tools, and technology and is fully integrated into Department decision-making, to most effectively perform this critical task.

I will work hard to ensure our people have secure new buildings where required, that are completed on time, on budget, and incorporate cutting-edge IT infrastructure to support the critical missions they execute globally.

If confirmed, I will seek more creative ways to staff the Department to meet today’s mission and be well positioned to meet the challenges of the future. This will include hiring the full range of expertise, from our diplomats and subject-matter experts, to our specialists in the field like medical services and facilities management, to our security personnel. Hiring the best of the best with diverse backgrounds and experiences is critical to our global mission and will be a top priority for me.

I am committed to advocating for a budget that fully funds the Department’s requirements and putting in place the appropriate oversight and metrics to ensure the Department meets its obligation to use taxpayer dollars wisely and effectively. I will support Secretary Pompeo in requesting funding that serves the national interest and will implement the appropriations law as passed by Congress.

Finally, if confirmed, I will help bring Department operations into the 21st century by modernizing its systems and programs. With so many challenges facing the United States around the world, our diplomacy demands every logistical, technological, and informational advantage we can muster. We must be aggressive in protecting our security, generating prosperity, and advancing our values. Having a State Department team that is empowered and equipped with the right tools to achieve the mission is an integral part of making that happen.

The full testimony is available to read in PDF here.

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R. Clarke Cooper Sworn-In as Asst. Secretary for Political-Military Affairs (State/T/PM)

May 15, 2019 By in Appointments, assistant secretaries, Functional Bureaus, State Department Tags: , , ,

 

R. Clarke Cooper was confirmed as Assistant Secretary for Political Military Affairs on April 30, 2019. He was sworn-in to office by Under Secretary Andrea Thompson on May 3rd. Pol-Mil is a bureau under the Arms Control and International Security (T) family. He succeeds Puneet Talwar who was bureau head from 2014–2017.  Ambassador Tina Kaidanow served as Acting A/S for Pol-Mil until her retirement from the Foreign Service in and move to the Pentagon in 2018.

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New U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia John Abizaid Arrives in Riyadh

May 6, 2019 By in Ambassadors, State Department, Trump, U.S. Missions Tags: , , , ,

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Secretary Mike Pompeo Swears-In New INR Assistant Secretary Ellen E. McCarthy

March 18, 2019 By in assistant secretaries, Functional Bureaus, Mike Pompeo, Political Appointees, State Department Tags: , ,

Assistant Secretary McCarthy Delivers Remarks at Her Swearing-in Ceremony Ellen E. McCarthy, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research delivers remarks at her swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 2019. [State Department photo by Michael Gross/ Public Domain]