The Hon. Tara D. Sonenshine
Former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, US State Department
Biography
Undersecretary Tara D. Sonenshine received her Bachelor’s degree in political science from Tufts University, and began her professional career in broadcasting, working for ABC News in New York in the USA. She was editorial producer of ABC News’ Nightline for more than a decade, and also served as a reporter at the Pentagon for ABC’s World News Tonight. Ms. Sonenshine has received several recognitions for her work in broadcasting, including receiving 10 News Emmy Awards in Journalism.Ms. Sonenshine held a number of roles at the White House during the presidency of Bill Clinton, where she was Transition Director and Director of Foreign Policy Planning for the National Security Council and Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications for the NSC. She went on to serve as a Strategic Communications Advisor for numerous international organizations such as USIP, the International Crisis Group, the American Academy of Diplomacy, and CARE. Before being sworn in as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Ms. Sonenshine acted as Executive Vice President of the United States Institution of Peace.
Ms. Sonenshine has written a multitude of articles on foreign affairs for several newspapers, including the New York Times and the Washington Post.
"Leveraging Culture and Diplomacy in the Age of Information"
A Lecture by Under Secretary Tara D. Sonenshine, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public AffairsThe ICD Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy in the USA
"Options on the Table": Soft Power, Intercultural Dialogue, and the Future of US Foreign Policy"
(Washington D.C., January 9th - 11th, 2013)
