Jim Steinberg will leave his post of deputy secretary of state to become dean of the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, according to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Undersecretary of State Bill Burns, the highest-ranking career foreign service officer at State, will replace Steinberg, Clinton told her staff Wednesday (March 30) in an e-mail obtained by” The Cable.”
“For more than two years, Deputy Secretary Jim Steinberg has helped guide this Department and our nation’s foreign policy. He has been an invaluable friend and colleague – a calm head during crises, a voice of reason and experience during policy debates, and always a consistent advocate for the women and men of the State Department and USAID,” Clinton wrote in her email.
“While it is not possible to replace Jim Steinberg, I am delighted to announce that President Obama intends to nominate Under Secretary Bill Burns to follow Jim as our next Deputy,” Clinton added.
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