Richard Verma confirmed as Deputy Secretary of State
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Arun Kumar- 0
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Richard Verma; photo by E.K. Balachandran
Verma was the first person of Indian descent to serve as US Ambassador to India during the Obama Administration
Indian-American diplomat Richard Verma has been confirmed as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources by the US Senate by a vote of 67-26.
In his new role, Verma will be responsible for directing, coordinating, and supervising State Department operations such as foreign assistance and civilian response programmes.
Read: Richard Verma: Deputy Secretary nominee (December 24, 2022)
Verma was the first person of Indian descent to serve as US Ambassador to India from 2015 to 2017 during the Obama Administration.
Currently the Chief Legal Officer and Head of Global Public Policy at Mastercard, Verma also served as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs during the Obama Administration.
Earlier in his career, he was National Security Advisor to US Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) while he was Democratic Whip, Minority Leader and then Majority Leader of the US Senate.
He has served as Vice Chairman of The Asia Group, Partner and Senior Counselor at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, and Senior Counselor at the Albright Stonebridge Group.
He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he served on active duty as a Judge Advocate.
He earned a BS at Lehigh University, a JD cum laude at American University, an LLM with distinction at Georgetown University Law Center, and a PhD at Georgetown University.
Read: Indian-American Richard Verma confirmed for top State Dept position (March 31, 2023)
He is the recipient of numerous awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal from the Department of State, the International Affairs Fellowship from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Meritorious Service Medal from the United States Air Force. He was ranked by India Abroad as one of the 50 most influential Indian Americans.
In May 2022, Verma was appointed to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board and is a former member of the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Commission.
He also serves as a trustee of The Ford Foundation, and is on numerous other boards, including the National Endowment for Democracy and Lehigh University.