Daniel R. Russel (born December 12, 1953) is an American diplomat who served as the
from 2013 to 2017. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary, Russel was Special Assistant to the President and National Security Staff Senior Director for Asian Affairs. He was a major figure in the
Obama administration's "pivot towards Asia" strategy.
Russel is currently Vice President for International Security and Diplomacy at the
Asia Society Policy Institute in New York.
Early career and education
Russel is from
New Rochelle
New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state o ...
, New York. He was educated at
Sarah Lawrence College and
University College
In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...
, University of London, UK.
Before joining the Foreign Service, he was manager for an international firm in New York City.
Diplomatic career
Daniel Russel served as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and is a career member of the Senior
Foreign Service
Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtains diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to o ...
. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary on July 12, 2013, Russel served at the White House as Special Assistant to the President and
National Security Council (NSC) Senior Director for Asian Affairs. During his tenure there, he helped formulate President Barack Obama's strategic rebalance to the Asia Pacific Region, including efforts to strengthen alliances, deepen U.S. engagement with multilateral organizations, and expand cooperation with emerging powers in the region.
Prior to joining the NSC in January 2009, he served as Director of the Office of Japanese Affairs and had assignments as
U.S. Consul General in Osaka-Kobe, Japan (2005-2008); Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands (2002-2005); Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus (1999-2002); Chief of Staff to then Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Ambassador
Thomas R. Pickering
Thomas Reeve "Tom" Pickering (born November 5, 1931) is a retired United States ambassador. Among his many diplomatic appointments, he served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 1989 to 1992.
Early life and education
Born in Orange, ...
(1997–99); Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (1995–96); Political Section Unit Chief at U.S. Embassy Seoul, Republic of Korea (1992–95); Political Advisor to the Permanent Representative to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, Ambassador Pickering (1989–92); Vice Consul in Osaka and Branch Office Manager in Nagoya, Japan (1987–89); and Assistant to the Ambassador to Japan, former Senate Majority Leader
Mike Mansfield
Michael Joseph Mansfield (March 16, 1903 – October 5, 2001) was an American politician and diplomat. A Democrat, he served as a U.S. representative (1943–1953) and a U.S. senator (1953–1977) from Montana. He was the longest-serving Sen ...
(1985–87).
In 1996, Russel was awarded the
State Department's Una Chapman Cox Fellowship sabbatical
and wrote ''America’s Place in the World'', a book published by
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
.
References
External links
State Department biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russel, Daniel R.
1953 births
American diplomats
Living people
Obama administration personnel
United States Foreign Service personnel
Sarah Lawrence College alumni
Alumni of University College London
Assistant Secretaries of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
Asia-Pacific
United States–Asian relations
American foreign policy writers
People from New York (state)
East Asia