# Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs

The Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs is the head of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs in the United States Department of State. Their mission is "to provide American leadership, diplomacy, and scientific cooperation to conserve and protect the global environment, ocean, and space for the prosperity, peace, and security of this and future generations". The Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs reports to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment. The goal of the agency is to "Advance America's security and prosperity through international leadership on oceans, environment, science, space, and health".
President Joe Biden nominated Monica Medina as Assistant Secretary on April 27, 2021. Medina was confirmed by the Senate on September 28, 2021, by a vote of 61–36. In 2023 President Biden appointed Jennifer Littlejohn as the new Assistant Secretary of state. Ms. Littlejohn is the assistant secretary of Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. Prior to her current employment Ms. Littlejohn was a deputy director of secretary of states policy planning staff. Her position required her to "serve as a source of independent policy analysis and advice for the Secretary of State" (Policy Planning Staff). Her job mainly consists of developing considerations regarding policies throughout the organization. "The Assistant Secretary sees that such activities are designed and implemented in a manner that furthers overall U.S. foreign policy objectives" (1 FAM 504).
Ms. Littlejohn has made great impacts to help benefit the environment; her most recent project Included her traveling to Sri Lanka, India, and Maldives to discuss climate change, plastic waste, air pollution, deforestation, and more. "In India from August 21 to 28, Acting Assistant Secretary Littlejohn will engage government officials on collaboration on scientific research, space exploration, combatting wildlife trafficking, and – in Chennai – support for river restoration through the Ambassador’s Water Experts Program" (state.gov).

## Assistant Secretaries of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, 1975—present

| # | Name | Assumed office | Left office | President appointed by |
| 1 | Dixy Lee Ray | January 19, 1975 | June 20, 1975 | Gerald Ford |
| 2 | Frederick Irving | April 28, 1976 | March 26, 1977 | Gerald Ford |
| 3 | Patsy T. Mink | March 28, 1977 | May 1, 1978 | Jimmy Carter |
| 4 | Thomas R. Pickering | October 10, 1978 | February 24, 1981 | Jimmy Carter |
| 5 | James L. Malone | June 1, 1981 | July 22, 1985 | Ronald Reagan |
| 6 | John Negroponte | July 19, 1985 | November 23, 1987 | Ronald Reagan |
| 7 | Frederick M. Bernthal | May 24, 1988 | March 16, 1990 | Ronald Reagan |
| 8 | E. U. Curtis Bohlen | June 27, 1990 | October 31, 1992 | George H. W. Bush |
| 9 | Elinor G. Constable | June 2, 1993 | September 15, 1995 | Bill Clinton |
| 10 | Eileen B. Claussen | January 19, 1996 | July 18, 1997 | Bill Clinton |
| 11 | David B. Sandalow | October 28, 1999 | January 19, 2001 | Bill Clinton |
| 12 | John F. Turner | November 13, 2001 | July 11, 2005 | George W. Bush |
| 13 | Claudia A. McMurray | February 21, 2006 | January 20, 2009 | George W. Bush |
| 14 | Kerri-Ann Jones | August 20, 2009 | April 25, 2014 | Barack Obama |
| - | Judith G. Garber (acting) | April 26, 2014 | September 7, 2017 | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| - | vacant | September 7, 2017 | September 7, 2020 | Donald Trump |
| - | Jonathan M. Moore (acting) | September 8, 2020 | January 20, 2021 | Donald Trump |
| - | vacant | January 20, 2021 | August 5, 2021 | Joe Biden |
| - | Marcia Bernicat (acting) | August 6, 2021 | September 28, 2021 | Joe Biden |
| 15 | Monica Medina | September 28, 2021 | April 28, 2023 | Joe Biden |
| - | Jennifer R. Littlejohn (acting) | May 1, 2023 | January 20, 2025 | Joe Biden |
| - | Tony Fernandes (acting) | January 20, 2025 | Incumbent | Donald Trump |

## Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, 2014—2021

| Name | Assumed office | Left office | Title |
| Judith G. Garber | April 26, 2014 | January 1, 2019 | (Acting Assistant Secretary April 26, 2014 – September 7, 2017) Senior Bureau Official September 8, 2017 – January 1, 2019 |
| Marcia Bernicat | January 1, 2019 | April 3, 2020 | Senior Bureau Official |
| Jonathan M. Moore | April 3, 2020 | September 7, 2020 | Senior Bureau Official April 3 – September 7 (named Acting Assistant Secretary September 8, 2020 - January 20, 2021) |
| Marcia Bernicat | January 20, 2021 | August 5, 2021 | Senior Bureau Official January 20 – August 5 (named Acting Assistant Secretary August 6, 2021) |