About Us – Executive Secretariat

The Executive Secretariat (S/ES), comprised of the Executive Secretary, four Deputy Executive Secretaries, and their staff, is responsible for coordination of the work of the Department internally, serving as the liaison between the Department’s bureaus and the offices of the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and Under Secretaries. It also handles the Department’s relations with the White House, National Security Council, and other Cabinet agencies.

The Secretariat Staff (S/ES-S) partners with the various offices of the Department to task, track, edit, and review policy memoranda and briefing materials for the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Under Secretary for Political Affairs, and Counselor.  The S/ES-S Records Division coordinates and substantively reviews written materials submitted by all Department bureaus and offices for the attention of the other Department Principals and maintains the Department’s official historical records and processes of FOIA requests for information from the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Under Secretary for Political Affairs, and the Counselor. S/ES-S staff also is responsible for advancing the Secretary’s official trips — domestic and international — by managing the Secretary’s travel schedule and arranging the run-of-show and logistics for Secretary visits.

The Operations Center (S/ES-O) is the Secretary’s and the Department’s communications and crisis management center. Working 24 hours a day, the Operations Center monitors world events, prepares briefings for the Secretary and other Department principals, and facilitates communication between the Department and the rest of the world. The Operations Center also coordinates the Department’s response to crises and supports task forces, monitoring groups, and other crisis-related activities.

The S/ES Executive Technology (ExecTech) strives to digitally advance diplomacy by driving the exchange of knowledge and communication through transformative  information technology (IT) solutions. ExecTech supports the DoS senior leadership,  the Executive Secretariat, and other offices under the administrative umbrella of S/ES. We provide round-the-clock IT and communications services with outstanding customer service rooted in a boutique approach to meet the unique needs of the “7th floor.”