Lee Satterfield
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Lee Satterfield is an American diplomat who had served as
Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs The assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs is the head of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, a bureau within the United States Department of State. The assistant secretary of state for educational and cu ...
in the
Biden administration Joe Biden's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 46th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Joe Biden, his inauguration on January 20, 2021, and ended on January 20, 2025. Biden, a member of the Democr ...
.


Early life and education

Satterfield is a native of
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the
University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...
.


Career

Satterfield joined the
White House Office The White House Office is an entity within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The White House Office is headed by the White House chief of staff, who is also the head of the Executive Office of the President. The st ...
in 1993, serving as a scheduler for Vice President
Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
, special assistant to President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
, and staff director of the
Office of Public Liaison The White House Office of Public Liaison (OPL) is a unit of the White House Office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. Under President Barack Obama, it was renamed to the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernm ...
. She then joined the
United States Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemp ...
, serving as deputy chief of staff from 1997 to 1999 and chief of staff from 1999 to 2001 under Secretary
Alexis Herman Alexis Margaret Herman (July 16, 1947 – April 25, 2025) was an American political figure who served as the 23rd United States secretary of labor from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. She was the first Black Americans, Black American ...
. In 2001 and 2002, Satterfield worked as deputy COO and chief of staff of the
Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...
. From 2003 to 2004, she was the DNC's director of convention planning. After working as an independent consultant, Satterfield joined the
United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...
during the
Obama administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, took office following his victory over Republican nomine ...
, serving as the deputy chief of protocol and deputy assistant secretary of the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the United States Department of State fosters mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries around the world. It is responsible for the Un ...
. Satterfield became president and CEO of
Meridian International Center The Meridian International Center is a non-partisan, nonprofit, public diplomacy organization founded in 1960 and located in Washington, D.C. It works closely with the U.S. Department of State and other U.S. government agencies, NGOs, internationa ...
in 2015.


Biden administration

On April 27, 2021, President
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
nominated Satterfield to be an Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the
U.S. State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs ...
. Hearings were held on Satterfield's nomination before the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for authorizing and overseeing foreign a ...
on July 27, 2021. The committee favorably reported her nomination to the Senate floor on August 4, 2021. The entire Senate confirmed Satterfield on November 18, 2021, by
voice vote In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin ''viva voce'', meaning "by live voice") or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by respondin ...
. Satterfield assumed office on November 23, 2021. She was appointed acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs on August 3, 2024.


Personal life

Satterfield married Patrick Steel in 1997.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Satterfield, Lee American diplomats American women diplomats Assistant secretaries of state for educational and cultural affairs Biden administration personnel Clinton administration personnel Democratic National Committee people Living people Obama administration personnel People from South Carolina University of South Carolina alumni Year of birth missing (living people) United States under secretaries of state