Chief of Staff to the United States Secretary of State

Last updated August 18, 2025

Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent Michael Needham since January 20, 2025
Appointer	United States Secretary of State
Website	State Department Description

The chief of staff to the secretary of state is the coordinator of the supporting staff and primary aide to the United States secretary of state.^[1]^[2] Michael Needham has served as chief of staff and counselor of the Department of State since the start of the second Trump administration.^[3]

List of chiefs of staff to the secretary of state

Elaine Shocas (1997 – 2001)^[4]
Lawrence Wilkerson (2002 – January 2005)
Brian Gunderson (January 28, 2005 – January 20, 2009)
Cheryl Mills (January 21, 2009 – February 1, 2013)
David Wade (February 1, 2013 – March 8, 2015)
Jonathan Finer (March 8, 2015 – January 20, 2017)
Margaret Peterlin (February 12, 2017 – March 31, 2018)
Suzy George (January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025)
Michael Needham (January 20, 2025 – Present)

References

↑ "Bureaus/Offices Reporting Directly to the Secretary". U.S. Department of State . Retrieved April 14, 2017.
↑ "Department Organization". U.S. Department of State . Retrieved April 14, 2017.
↑ "Michael A. Needham - United States Department of State". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
↑ "Albright Right-Hand Man Finds Spotlight's on Him (Published 1998)". 1998-01-10. Retrieved 2025-08-09.

v t e United States Department of State
Headquarters: Harry S Truman Building Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Allison Hooker, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Deputy Secretary of State and Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources	Office of Foreign Assistance Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Office of the U.S. Coordinator for the Arctic Region
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Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security	Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs International Security Advisory Board
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs	Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (Fulbright Program) Bureau of Global Public Affairs Global Engagement Center International Expositions Unit Office of Global Youth Issues Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
Under Secretary for Management	Bureau of Administration Bureau of Budget and Planning Bureau of Consular Affairs Bureau of Diplomatic Security Bureau of Global Talent Management Bureau of Information Resource Management Bureau of Medical Services Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services Foreign Service Institute (Office of the Historian) Office of Foreign Missions Director of Diplomatic Reception Rooms Office of Management Strategy and Solutions Office of White House Liaison
Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom	Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy Office of Global Criminal Justice Office of International Religious Freedom Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
Bureaus/offices reporting directly to the secretary	Chief of Staff Office of the Counselor Bureau of Intelligence and Research Bureau of Legislative Affairs Executive Secretariat (Operations Center) Policy Planning Staff (Foreign Affairs Policy Board) Office of Civil Rights Office of Diversity and Inclusion Office of Global Women's Issues Office of Inspector General Office of the Chief of Protocol Office of the Legal Adviser Office of the Ombudsman Office of the Secretary's Special Representative for Syria Engagement Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Office of the Special Representative for Venezuela Office of the United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment Iran Action Group Foreign Service Grievance Board Secretary's Open Forum

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