Department of State employees crowd the C Street lobby to welcome 65th Secretary of State Colin Powell on his first day at work. Powell was sworn into office Jan. 26, 2001, after previously having served as U.S. National Security Advisor, and as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell was a trailblazing leader who initiated reforms and improvements, the impact of which continue to ripple throughout the Department to this day. He was memorialized by employees across the Department following his death due to COVID-19 complications last October. Read more about Powell’s legacy in an upcoming retrospective this spring.
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