For the past three and a half years, I have depended on Derek Chollet’s wise counsel and steady hand in helping navigate the toughest issues the United States faces. Derek is a quintessential five-tool player. Over the course of his career, he has served in positions across the national security community and academia, building a breadth of experience that the rest of us rely on every day. During his time at the State Department, he has taken on some of the toughest diplomatic assignments, from the Balkans and Burma to Pakistan and Northern Ireland, and for the past nine months has been key to shaping our response to the crisis in the Middle East.
While I am sad to lose Derek from our team at the State Department, I know the country will continue to benefit from his service at the Pentagon. Secretary Austin couldn’t have made a better choice for his next Chief of Staff.
I am appointing Tom Sullivan as the next Counselor of the United States Department of State. Tom has been my Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy since my first day as Secretary, serving in a position he previously held under Secretary Kerry. Tom has an unmatched depth of knowledge about how national security policy is formulated and implemented, one that he brings to bear every day on behalf of the American people. He has traveled the world with me and been by my side for meetings with heads of state, foreign ministers, and other world leaders as we rebuilt our alliances and partnerships, confronted Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, stabilized our relationship with China while standing up for American interests, and worked to build lasting peace, security, and stability in the Middle East. I look forward to continuing to draw on his wit and wisdom in this new role.
Official news published at https://www.state.gov/on-the-departure-of-derek-chollet-and-appointment-of-tom-sullivan-as-counselor/
