The director general of the Foreign Service is the designated manager of the United States Foreign Service.
The director general is a current or former Foreign Service officer, appointed by the president, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. Since November 23, 1975, under a departmental administrative action, the director general has concurrently held the title of Director of the Bureau of Global Talent Management. As the head of the human resources bureau, the director general holds a rank equivalent to an assistant secretary of state and reports to the under secretary of state for management.
History Congress created the position of Director General of the Foreign Service through the Foreign Service Act of 1946. Between 1946 and 1980, the secretary of state designated the director general.
The Foreign Service Act of 1980 made the position a presidential appointee.
After 1986, the director general became responsible for all personnel aspects of the Foreign Service and the civil service at the State Department, including advertising, examination, appointment, job assignments worldwide, disciplinary actions, and promotions to the Senior Foreign Service.
List of directors general of the Foreign Service #Director GeneralTenurePresident1Selden ChapinNovember 13, 1946 – April 30, 1947Harry S. Truman2Christian M. RavndalMay 1, 1947 – June 23, 19493Richard Porter ButrickSeptember 7, 1949 – April 1, 19524Gerald Augustin DrewMarch 30, 1952 – October 18, 1954Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower5Raymond A. HareOctober 19, 1954 – August 29, 1956Dwight D. Eisenhower6Joseph Charles SatterthwaiteMay 6, 1957 – September 1, 19587Waldemar John GallmanNovember 17, 1958 – January 31, 19618Tyler ThompsonMay 14, 1961 – February 15, 1964John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson9Joseph Palmer IIFebruary 16, 1964 – April 10, 1966Lyndon B. Johnson10John Milton SteevesAugust 1, 1966 – July 31, 196911John Howard BurnsAugust 1, 1969 – June 15, 1971Richard Nixon12William O. HallJuly 5, 1971 – September 30, 197313Nathaniel DavisNovember 13, 1973 – March 17, 1975Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford14Carol LaiseApril 11, 1975 – December 26, 1977Gerald Ford15Harry G. Barnes, Jr.December 22, 1977 – February 8, 1981Jimmy Carter16Joan Margaret ClarkJuly 27, 1981 – October 24, 1983Ronald Reagan17Alfred AthertonDecember 2, 1983 – December 28, 198418George Southall VestJune 8, 1985 – May 3, 198919Edward Joseph PerkinsSeptember 22, 1989 – May 7, 1992George H. W. Bush20Genta Hawkins HolmesSeptember 7, 1992 – August 18, 1995George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton21Anthony Cecil Eden QuaintonDecember 29, 1995 – August 22, 1997Bill Clinton22Edward William GnehmAugust 25, 1997 – June 14, 200023Marc Isaiah GrossmanJune 19, 2000 – March 26, 200124Ruth A. DavisJune 15, 2001 – June 30, 2003George W. Bush25W. Robert PearsonOctober 7, 2003 – February 27, 200626George McDade StaplesMay 25, 2006 – June 27, 200727Harry K. Thomas, Jr.September 21, 2007 – June 24, 2009George W. Bush, Barack Obama28Nancy Jo PowellAugust 3, 2009 – January 6, 2012Barack Obama29Linda Thomas-GreenfieldApril 2, 2012 – August 2, 201330Arnold A. ChacónDecember 22, 2014 – June 2, 2017Barack Obama, Donald Trump -William E. Todd (Acting)June 12, 2017 – February 1, 2019Donald Trump31Carol Z. PerezFebruary 1, 2019 – June 6, 2022Donald Trump, Joe Biden32Marcia BernicatJune 6, 2022 – January 20, 2025Joe Biden -Catherine Rodriguez (Acting)January 20, 2025 – April 4, 2025https://www.state.gov/biographies/catherine-rodriguez/ Donald Trump -Lew Olowski (Senior Bureau Official) April 7, 2025 – December 23, 2025Donald Trump -Sarah McKemey (Senior Bureau Official) December 23, 2025 – PresentDonald Trump
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