After decades in government, the No. 2 diplomat in the Biden administration is retiring.
On May 12, Secretary Of State Antony Blinken announced the retirement of Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.
Sherman, who has been engaged in some of the most significant and contentious foreign policy choices made by Democratic administrations since Bill Clinton was president, will leave her position this summer.
In a memo to the personnel of the State Department, Sherman, 73, announced that she would be retiring at the end of June.
President Joe Biden nominated Sherman for the second position at the State Department because he thought she could rekindle America’s partnerships abroad, according to Blinken, who praised Sherman’s record.
“President Biden asked Wendy to serve in this role because he knew he could count on her to help revitalize America’s alliances and partnerships and manage our complex relationships with competitors,” Blinken said in a statement.
“Wendy broke barriers as our first female under secretary of state for political affairs and our first female deputy secretary of state.
“Her remarkable career —which spans more than three decades, three presidents, and five secretaries of state—addressed some of the toughest foreign policy challenges of our time.
“Our nation is safer and more secure, and our partnerships more robust, due to her leadership.
Sherman was said to be a vital part of the Biden administration’s efforts to compete with China in the Indo-Pacific and she was notably active with the United States engagement with Pacific island states and met frequently with senior Chinese officials.
She also played a significant role in rallying international diplomatic support for Ukraine following the invasion by Russia.
Sherman was one of the primary negotiators for the Clinton administration and was involved in the unsuccessful negotiations to end North Korea’s ballistic missile program in the late 1990s while serving as a counselor to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Then, as the Obama administration’s under secretary of state for political affairs, she later worked as the primary negotiator with Iran on the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Blinken ended his comments on Sherman’s departure, saying, “On behalf of the department, I thank Wendy for her service. I wish her and her family all the best in their next chapter.
