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Special envoys by administration
Special envoys are agents appointed as the personal representative of the president or the secretary of state. They are often appointed in response to congressional or public attention to a particular region or issue.[1]
President George Washington made the first such temporary diplomatic appointment in 1789, naming a private agent focused on normalizing diplomatic relations with Britain.[1]
Special envoys can operate outside of the typical reach of an ambassador to address complex, multilateral issues. Since they are responsive to the needs of each administration, there is no set number of special envoys. President Joe Biden (D), for example, created a new position when he appointed former Secretary of State John Kerry (D) as the special presidential envoy for climate change.[1]
This page provides an overview of special envoys appointed since the beginning of the Biden administration.
Biden appointed 46 special envoys. As of February 6, 2025, Trump had not appointed any special envoys in his second presidential term.[2][3]
Special envoys appointed by Trump (second term)
As of February 6, 2025, Trump had not appointed any special envoys in his second presidential term.
Special envoys appointed by Biden
- See also: Joe Biden presidential administration
The following table provides a list of special envoys appointed during the Biden administration in alphabetical order by post.[2]
The status column indicates whether the special envoy was a career, retired, or recalled member of the Foreign Service.
| Special envoys appointed by President Joe Biden (D) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Post | Envoy | Status | Year appointed |
| Advancing the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons | Jessica Stern | Other | 2021 |
| Afghanistan Reconciliation | Thomas West | Other | 2021 |
| Arctic Affairs | Michael Sfraga | Other | 2024 |
| Atlantic Cooperation | Jessye Lapenn | Career FS | 2023 |
| Belarus | Julie D. Fisher | Career FS | 2021 |
| Biodiversity and Water Resources | Monica Medina | Other | 2022 |
| Biological & Toxic Convention Issues | Bruce I. Turner | Career FS | 2022 |
| Climate Change | John Kerry | Other | 2021 |
| Commercial & Business Affairs | Dilawar Syed | Other | 2022 |
| Cyberspace and Digital Policy | Nathaniel Fick | Other | 2022 |
| Digital Freedom | Eileen C. Donohoe | Other | 2023 |
| Global COVID-19 Response and Health Security | Gayle Smith | Other | 2021 |
| Global Criminal Justice | Beth Van Schaack | Other | 2022 |
| Global Food Security | Cary Fowler | Other | 2022 |
| Global Health Security and Diplomacy | John N. Nkengasong | Other | 2023 |
| Global Partnerships | Dorothy McAuliffe | Other | 2022 |
| Global Women's Issues | Geeta Rao Gupta | Other | 2021 |
| Global Youth Issues | Abby Finkenauer | Other | 2022 |
| Guantanamo Affairs | Tina Kaidanow | Recalled FS | 2022 |
| Haiti | Vacant (prev. Daniel Foote) | Career FS | 2021 |
| Holocaust Issues | Ellen Germain | Career FS | 2021 |
| Horn of Africa | Michael Hammer [4] | Career FS | 2022 |
| Intn'l Communications and Information Policy | Stephan A. Lang | Career FS | 2024 |
| International Labor Affairs | Kelly M. Fay Rodriguez | Other | 2022 |
| International Religious Freedom | Rashad Hussain | Other | 2021 |
| Iran | Rob Malley | Other | 2021 |
| Libya | Richard Norland | Career FS | 2021 |
| Middle East Humanitarian Issues | Lise Grande | Other | 2024 |
| Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism | Deborah Lipstadt | Other | 2022 |
| Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking | Cynthia Dyer | Other | 2022 |
| Northern Ireland Economic Affairs | Joe Kennedy III | Other | 2022 |
| Northern Triangle | Ricardo Zuniga | Career FS | 2021 |
| North Korea | Sung Y. Kim | Career FS | 2021 |
| North Korea Human Rights Issues | Julie Turner | Other | 2023 |
| Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons | Nicole Shampaine | Career FS | 2024 |
| Palestinian Affairs | Hady Amr | Other | 2022 |
| Racial Equity and Justice | Desiree Cormier Smith | Former FS | 2022 |
| Sanctions Coordination | Erik Woodhouse[5] | Other | 2023 |
| Subnational Diplomacy | Nina Hachigian | Other | 2022 |
| Sudan | Tom Perriello | Other | 2024 |
| Tibetan Issues | Uzra Zeya | Recalled FS | 2021 |
| U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources | Tracy M. Carson | Other | 2024 |
| USG Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally | John Nkengasong | Other | 2022 |
| Yemen | Tim Lenderking | Career FS | 2021 |
See also
- Donald Trump presidential administration, 2025
- Ambassadors appointed by Donald Trump, 2025
- Donald Trump's Cabinet, 2025
- Confirmation process for Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees, 2025
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Congressional Research Service, "State Department Special Envoy, Representative, and Coordinator Positions: Background and Congressional Actions," September 15, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 American Foreign Service Association, "Special Envoys, Representatives, Coordinators," accessed July 19, 2021
- ↑ White House, "President Biden Announces U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons," June 25, 2021
- ↑ Formerly Jeffrey Feltman
- ↑ Formerly James O'Brien.