U.S. Public Diplomacy’s 70-year Track Record
The White House announced that it would nominate Irvin Steven Goldstein of New York to be the “Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Department of State.”
This is not the last word. Further consultations and a congressional hearing will take place before the nominee starts work. Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that Goldstein appears to be the first under secretary nominated by the new administration. The Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs oversees three Washington bureaus and the Global Engagement Center, and indirectly influences some 2300 personnel at 189 public affairs sections around the world. I’ll speculate that the omission of “Public Affairs” in the White House announcement was an oversight.
Steve Goldstein’s profile differs from the eight previous ones. The bulk of his experience is leading communications for very large financial companies. He has worked with public relations, advertising, branding and reputation management. Stints at Dow Jones (Wall Street Journal), the Department of the Interior and House of Representatives staff (early on) broaden his professional portfolio.
The nomination came out shortly after Secretary Tillerson’s “redesign” proposals for the Department went to the Office of Management and Budget. Having a Seventh-Floor official to represent PD in the eventual changes to State sounds like a good thing.
Joe B. Johnson consults on government communication and technology after a career in the United States Foreign Service. He is an instructor for the National Foreign Affairs Training Center, where he teaches strategic planning for public diplomacy. Read More
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