Brian J. Bulatao – Under Secretary of State for Management
Brian J. Bulatao of Texas is the new Under Secretary of State for Management. Prior to joining the Department, Bulatao served as the chief operating officer at the Central Intelligence Agency. He previously worked in the private equity industry, both as a founding partner and senior advisor. Bulatao also served as the CEO and president of several market-leading companies in the manufacturing, logistics and business service sectors. Bulatao received a B.S. from the United States Military Academy and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Bridget A. Brink – U.S. Ambassador to the Slovak Republic
Bridget A. Brink (SFS) of Michigan is the new U.S. Ambassador to the Slovak Republic. Brink was previously a deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. Brink joined the Department in 1996 and has served in a number of positions both domestic and overseas. She served as deputy chief of mission in both Uzbekistan and in Georgia, deputy director for Southern European Affairs, political-economic chief in Tbilisi and special assistant for Europe to the Department’s undersecretary for political affairs. Brink has a B.A. from Kenyon College and an M.S. from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She speaks Russian.
Kate M. Byrnes – U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of North Macedonia
Kate M. Byrnes (SFS) of Florida is the new U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of North Macedonia. Byrnes recently served as the deputy chief of mission in Athens, Greece. Byrnes has more than 26 years of experience in the Foreign Service. She has served in Madrid, Afghanistan, Belgium, Hungary, Turkey, Bolivia and in numerous leadership positions, including special assistant to the under secretary for public affairs and diplomacy. Byrnes has a B.S. and an M.A. from Georgetown University. She speaks Spanish, Hungarian and Turkish.
R. Clarke Cooper – Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs
R. Clarke Cooper of Florida is the new Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs. Cooper recently served as the director of intelligence planning for Joint Special Operations Command’s Joint Inter-Agency Task Force-National Capital Region. Previously, Cooper served as U.S. alternate representative to the United Nations Security Council, U.S. delegate to the United Nations Budget Committee, senior advisor in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and advisor at U.S. Embassy Baghdad. His active duty military assignments include tours with Joint Special Operations Command, U.S. Africa Command, Special Operations Command Africa, Joint Special Operations Task Force Trans-Sahara and Special Operations Command Central. Cooper has a B.A. from Florida State University.
Michael J. Fitzpatrick – U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador
Michael J. Fitzpatrick (SFS) of Virginia is the new U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador. Fitzpatrick is currently a senior advisor in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and previously served as a deputy assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs. Fitzpatrick has served in the Foreign Service for 30 years, with experience across five regions, including Latin America, Europe and Africa. He has served as the interim U.S. permanent representative to the Organization of American States, deputy chief of mission and chargé d’affaires in both Lima, Peru, and Asunción, Paraguay. Fitzpatrick has a B.A. from Georgetown University and an M.I.A. from Columbia University. He speaks Spanish and French.
Matthew S. Klimow – U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan
Matthew S. Klimow (SFS) of New York is the new U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan. Klimow is currently the senior advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary for Management. Klimow has previously served as a deputy assistant secretary general of NATO in Brussels, Belgium. He also served as a senior advisor in the Office of Overseas Employment, executive director of the Bureaus of Administration and Information Resource Management, director of Language Services and executive director of the Bureau of Consular Affairs. Klimow served as a U.S. Army officer from 1974-2003, retiring with the rank of colonel. He has a B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and an M.M.A.S. from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He speaks French.
Keith Krach – Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment
Keith Krach of California is the new Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment; U.S. Alternate Governor of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; U.S. Alternate Governor for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development; U.S. Governor of the Inter-American Development Bank; U.S. Alternate Governor of the African Development Bank; U.S. Alternate Governor of the African Development Fund; and U.S. Alternate Governor of the Asian Development Bank. Krach is the former chairman and CEO of DocuSign, and he co-founded Ariba, serving as chairman and CEO. He also served as a chairman on the board of Angie’s List and he was the youngest-ever vice president of General Motors. Krach has a B.S. from Purdue University, an M.B.A. from Harvard University and an honorary doctorate from Purdue University.
David Schenker – Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs
David Schenker of New Jersey is the new Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Schenker previously served as director of the Beth and David Geduld Program on Arab Politics. He also served as Levant country director in the Office of the Secretary of Defense during the George W. Bush administration. Prior to joining the government, Schenker was a research fellow at The Washington Institute and a project coordinator focusing on projects in Egypt and Jordan. Schenker received a B.A. from the University of Vermont and an M.A. from the University of Michigan. He speaks Arabic.
David Stilwell – Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
David Stilwell of Hawaii is the new Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Stilwell was previously the director of the China Strategic Focus Group at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Headquarters in Hawaii and an adjunct senior fellow at the East West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Stilwell also served as a defense attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. He served in the Air Force for 35 years, served multiple tours in Japan and Korea, and retired in 2015 in the rank of brigadier general. He received a B.S. from the U.S. Air Force Academy, and an M.A. the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He speaks Korean, Chinese and limited Japanese.
Matthew H. Tueller – U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq
Matthew H. Tueller (SFS) of Utah is the new U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq. Tueller previously served as ambassador to Yemen and ambassador to Kuwait. He has also served as deputy chief of mission in Cairo, Kuwait and Doha. He was a political counselor in Riyadh, London and Baghdad. In his domestic assignments, Tueller served as deputy director in the Office of Northern Gulf Affairs as well as an Egypt desk officer. Tueller has a B.A. from Brigham Young University and an M.P.P. from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.