Elizabeth M. Allen

Elizabeth Marie Allen is an American political advisor who serves as acting under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs. On January 23, 2023, President Biden announced his intent to nominate Allen for the permanent role of under secretary.[1]

Liz Allen
Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
Acting
Assumed office
April 4, 2022
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byJennifer Hall Godfrey (Acting)
Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs
In office
September 13, 2021 – April 4, 2022
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byNicole Chulick (Acting)
Succeeded byElizabeth Trudeau (Acting)
Personal details
Born
Elizabeth Marie Allen

Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationState University of New York, Geneseo (BA)

Allen previously served as assistant secretary of state for global public affairs and as White House deputy communications director during the Obama administration.

Early life and education

Allen is a native of Buffalo, New York. She graduated from Williamsville South High School in Williamsville, New York in 2002. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science and sociology from the State University of New York at Geneseo, where she graduated magna cum laude and phi beta kappa.[2][3]

Career

As an undergraduate, Allen served as an intern at the United States Department of State, where she specialized in human trafficking and international women's issues.[4]

Allen is sworn in as assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, at the U.S. Department of State on September 13, 2021.

After graduating from college, Allen served as the associate director of operations for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She later joined Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and worked on the 2009 Inauguration. From 2009 until 2013, Allen was a member of the communications team for Vice President Joseph Biden, and was promoted to serve as deputy director of communications. From 2014 to 2015, she served as the director of public affairs and strategic communication for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.[5]

From 2015 to 2017, Allen served as the White House deputy communications director. While working for Obama, she planned several "first time" presidential events, such as Obama's visit to the Arctic Circle and his meeting with federal inmates in Oklahoma.[2]

After the end of the Obama administration, Allen joined The Glover Park Group, a communications consulting firm (now called Finsbury Glover Hering), as senior vice president, .[6][7][8]

In August 2020, Allen took a leave of absence from Glover Park Group to serve as communications director to Kamala Harris after she was announced as Joe Biden's running mate in the 2020 United States presidential election.[9][10][11][12][13]

Allen left as a partner at Finsbury Glover Hering (FGH) when President Biden appointed her as assistant secretary of state for global public affairs on August 25, 2021.[14][15] She was sworn in on September 13, 2021.[16] Allen has been a central figure in U.S. government's efforts to both combat disinformation surrounding the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and increase support for the Ukrainian people and their government in their war with the Russians.[17]

On April 4, 2022, secretary of state Antony Blinken delegated to her the functions and authorities of the under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs.[3]

References
  1. "President Biden Announces Key Nominees". 23 January 2023.
  2. "Bio - Elizabeth M. Allen - WEDF". www.wedf.org. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  3. "Elizabeth M. Allen". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  4. Politico Staff. "BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Liz Allen, SVP at the Glover Park Group". POLITICO. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  5. "Liz Allen". Glover Park Group. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  6. "Revolving Door: Liz Allen Employment Summary | OpenSecrets". www.opensecrets.org. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  7. "The poignant but complicated friendship of Joe Biden and Barack Obama". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2019-07-30. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  8. Mustafa, Filiz (2020-10-16). "Who is Liz Allen? Kamala Harris' communications director tests positive for Covid!". HITC. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  9. Jeff Zeleny, Dan Merica and Arlette Saenz (11 August 2020). "Joe Biden selects his running mate with announcement coming as early as Tuesday". CNN. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  10. "President Biden Announces Elizabeth M. Allen as Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs". 25 August 2021.
  11. "Biden campaign puts VP team in place ahead of announcement". NBC News. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  12. "Harris pays early dividends for Biden campaign". POLITICO. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  13. Epstein, Jennifer. "Biden builds staff team for running mate before she is unveiled". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  14. "President Biden Announces Elizabeth M. Allen as Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs". The White House. 2021-08-25. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  15. Mucha, Sarah (25 August 2021). "First look: Biden appoints campaign veteran Liz Allen to State Department". Axios. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  16. "Elizabeth Allen". United States Department of State.
  17. "The U.S. Is pushing Russians to defy Putin. But don't call it regime change". Politico.
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