2000–2009
January 10, 2000
The Foreign Affairs System Integration Office was established to formulate and coordinate the integration of information systems for all foreign affairs agencies at overseas posts.
March 24, 2000
A reorganization of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs separated the position of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary from that of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information Policy. Two new Offices were established: Commercial and Business Affairs, and Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy.
April 24, 2000
After the disappearance of a laptop computer containing classified information from the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Secretary of State Albright transferred responsibility for the most highly classified data in the Department from Intelligence and Research to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
May 8, 2000
The Department of State opened a new passport center in Charleston, South Carolina.
May 17, 2000
In the Bureau of Administration, the Safety and Fire Division was subdivided into the Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Division and the Fire Protection Division. The Facilities Management Division became the Facilities Maintenance Management Division.
May 22, 2000
A Science Directorate, headed by a Deputy Assistant Secretary, was established in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. It included the offices of Science and Technology Cooperation, Space and Advanced Technology, and Emerging Infectious Diseases. Kenneth C. Brill was the first Deputy Assistant Secretary.
May 26, 2000
Secretary of State Albright, in compliance with Executive Order 12958, designated the Under Secretary for Management as the senior official in charge of implementing procedures for safeguarding classified materials. The three existing levels of classification (Confidential, Secret, Top Secret) remained, but an additional level of control, “Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU)” was instituted.
June 19, 2000
The Bureau of Personnel was renamed the Bureau of Human Resources. Director General of the Foreign Service Marc Grossman also assumed the title of Director of Human Resources.
June 23, 2000
The Office of International Information Programs became equivalent to a bureau, and its Coordinator received rank equivalent to an Assistant Secretary.
September 5, 2000
In the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, the Office of Economic and Social Affairs became the Office of Social and Humanitarian Affairs. The Office of International Development Assistance became the Office of Economic and Development Affairs.
September 22, 2000
The Main Department of State Building was dedicated as the “Harry S. Truman Building.”
October 1, 2000
The Bureau of Consular Affairs moved its Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery program from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Goldbug, Kentucky.
October 2, 2000
In the Bureau of Consular Affairs, the Office of Technology Development became the Office of Information Management and Liaison. The Systems Liaison and Training Division replaced the Systems Staff and the Public Services Division.
October 3, 2000
The Department of State began offering transit subsidies to employees without parking privileges who regularly used public transportation.
October 28, 2000
The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act authorized the Secretary of State to establish an office to monitor and combat trafficking. The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons was established in October 2001, with Nancy Halliday Ely-Raphel as its first Director.
October 30, 2000
The American Payroll Resolution Center was established in the Office of Domestic Financial Services to provide a single office that was in charge of salaries and leave accounts.
November 2000
The Office of Export Control Cooperation and Sanctions was established in the Bureau of Nonproliferation with the mission of assisting other countries in regulating arms sales.
November 1, 2000
Secretary of State Albright dedicated the U.S. Diplomacy Center, which, when completed, would include an exhibit hall, a conference center, and an auditorium.
January 4, 2001
In the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, the regional offices were reduced to three, and a new Office of Refugee Assistance and Migration was added. The Global Humanitarian Demining Office was transferred from the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs. It was transferred back on May 8, 2001.
January 5, 2001
a Logistics Policy Branch was established in the Office of Logistics Management.
January 9, 2001
The Department of State dedicated the Carl T. Rowan Briefing Room.
January 20, 2001
Colin L. Powell became the first African-American Secretary of State.
January 26, 2001
In the Bureau of Information Resource Management, the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Management’s title was expanded to include “Customer Service.” The Director of Foreign Affairs Systems Integration became another Deputy Chief Information Officer, and added the title “Chief Knowledge Officer.”
February 12, 2001
Secretary of State Powell revised the Department’s security policy to allow retired personnel to obtain temporary building passes that would allow unescorted access to the basement and the first and second floors of the Truman Building.
March 1, 2001
In the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, the Director for Peace Process and Regional Affairs became the Director of Regional Affairs.
April 12, 2001
In the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Exchange Coordination Staff and the Exchange Visitor Program Designation Staff became the Office of Exchange Coordination and Designation. The Administrative Support Branch and the Logistics and Travel Unit became the Support Services Division.
April 30, 2001
An Intelligence Resources and Planning Coordinator was established in the Bureau of Financial Management and Policy.
May 9, 2001
President George W. Bush sent a letter to U.S. Chiefs of Mission that recognized their full responsibility for the activities of all Executive Branch employees except for those under military command or on the staff of an international organization.
May 15, 2001
The Office of Foreign Buildings Operations became the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations and reported directly to the Under Secretary for Management.
June 30, 2001
The Office of the Special Middle East Coordinator was abolished and its functions reverted to the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
August 3, 2001
The Under Secretary for Management appointed the Medical Director as the Designated Agency Safety and Health Officer for the Department.
The Special Embassy Program was established, covering 52 diplomatic posts with 30 or fewer U.S. personnel, of whom fewer than 15 were from the Department of State.
August 8, 2001
The Bureau of European Affairs assumed responsibility for the former Soviet republics in Central Asia, becoming the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.
August 17, 2001
The Department of State opened “The Foggy Bottom” complex of stores and employee service facilities in the basement of the Truman Building.
August 31, 2001
The Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Civil Rights changed its title to “Office of Civil Rights.”
October 12–22, 2001
The Department of State’s main mail processing center in Sterling, VA (SA-32) was closed after an anthrax-contaminated letter was routed there after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Employee David Hose contracted inhalation anthrax, but recovered. On November 9, a nearby warehouse was designated as SA-32T and became a temporary facility for diplomatic pouch mail. The first outgoing shipments were made on November 20. The Department also organized a three-member Chemical and Biological Working Group to monitor the cleanup and to prepare responses to future terrorist attacks.
The cleanup process lasted more than two years and involved the removal and destruction of over 400 tons of equipment and materials.
January 30, 2002
Chief Financial Officer Christopher Bancroft Burnham was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Resource Management and became chief of a new Bureau. The Bureau of Resource Management comprised the Offices of: Strategic and Program Planning; State Programs, Operations, and Budget; Financial Services and Deputy CFO, and Foreign Assistance Programs and Budget.
March 21, 2002
The Bureau of Resource Management began distributing employees’ earnings and leave statements electronically. These could be accessed by using either the E*Phone system or EmployeeExpress.
April 23, 2002
The Bureau of Finance and Management Policy was incorporated into the new Bureau of Resource Management.
April 30, 2002
The Office of Afghanistan Reconstruction was established in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs.
May 29, 2002
The National Foreign Affairs Training Center was renamed in honor of former Secretary of State George P. Shultz. Five former Secretaries (Kissinger, Haig, Shultz, Christopher, and Albright) attended the ceremony.
June 2002
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security began introducing a SmartCard access control system, initially in the Truman Building, and later in other Department annexes. Issuance was completed August 20, 2007.
June 26, 2002
The Office of the Special Advisor for the New Independent States was incorporated into the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.
July 25, 2002
The Office of Export Control and Conventional Arms Nonproliferation Policy assumed responsibility for implementing laws related to sanctions against governments that transferred weapons and sensitive dual use items to “states of concern.” The Office of Export Control Cooperation dropped “and Sanctions” from its name.
September 5, 2002
The Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs subdivided one of its regional offices, creating an Office of Indonesia and East Timor Affairs, and an Office of Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore Affairs.
September 17, 2002
The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs was reorganized. The Office of Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy became the Office of Economic Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy, comprising the Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy Teams. The Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs was divided into two geographic Divisions: Asia, Near East, and Africa; and Europe and Western Hemisphere. The Office of Agricultural and Textile Trade Affairs became the Office of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Textile Trade Affairs, comprising the Biotechnology and Textile Trade Policy and Agreements Division and the Agriculture Trade Policy and Programs Division. The Office of Multilateral Trade Affairs was subdivided into the Property and Competition and Multilateral and Sectoral Trade Divisions. In the Office of Transportation Policy, the Aviation Programs and Policy Team and the Maritime and Land Transport Teams were eliminated.
September 27, 2002
The Offices of International Religious Freedom and Strategic Planning and External Affairs were established in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. The Program Staff became the Office for the Promotion of Human Rights and Democracy, while the Office of Asylum became the Office of Country Reports and Asylum Affairs.
2003
The Bureau of Resource Management organized an Office of Strategic and Performance Planning to determine the most effective use of the Department’s resources.
2003
The Office of Information Assurance was established to oversee information security programs.
January 2, 2003
The Office of Management Policy and Planning became the Office of Management Policy.
January 31, 2003
In the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, the Office of Policy and Resource Planning and the position of Senior Advisor for Southeastern Europe were eliminated.
March 2003
The Office of Foreign Missions established a Regional Office in Miami, Florida.
April 14, 2003
The Office of the Ombudsman was relocated to the Office of Civil Rights.
May 13, 2003
The Department of State opened two new training facilities: the Florida Regional Center and the Regional Information Management Center, both in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
May 29, 2003
A Coordinator for Afghanistan was established in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs. The Office of Afghanistan Reconstruction was redesignated as the Office for Afghan Reconstruction. The Bureau’s Office of Public Diplomacy became the Office of Press and Public Diplomacy.
June 13, 2003
The Office of Financial Policy and Management Controls was placed in charge of assigning organization symbols to Department offices.
September 2, 2003
The Border Biometrics Program administered by the Bureau of Consular Affairs became the office of Border and International Programs.
October 2003
The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs established an Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement to assist in collecting surplus weapons at the end of conflicts.
October 9, 2003
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security opened two new field offices in Miami and Houston. This increased its regional offices in the United States to six.
November 3, 2003
The Department of State opened an addition to the cafeteria in the Truman Building. The North Servery included nine new food stations.
November 14, 2003
The Offices of Passport Services and Overseas Citizens Services and the Public Affairs Diplomacy Center moved to 2100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., as part of a program to create space for offices displaced during the renovation of the Truman Building. The new facility, known as SA-29, was leased for 10 years.
January 5, 2004
In the Bureau of Administration, the Office of Information Resources Management Programs became the Office of Information Programs and Services.
February 11, 2004
The Department of State established an Office of Rightsizing to help streamline its operations.
April 30, 2004
In the Bureau of Information Resource Management, a Business Practices and Programs Group replaced the e-Diplomacy Office, the Office of Enterprise Architecture and Planning, and the Office of Customer Service. The new Group was headed by a Deputy Chief Information Officer/Chief Knowledge Officer.
June 17, 2004
The Office of Emergency Management was established in the Bureau of Administration. Its missions were to direct the Department’s domestic emergency planning and to educate Department personnel about its emergency plans. It replaced the Diplomatic Contingency Programs Office.
June 28, 2004
The Department of State opened its Global Financial Services Center in Charleston, South Carolina. Its Accounts Receivable operations moved to Charleston on August 30. As of October 1, the Payments Division moved to Charleston and became the Office of Claims.
August 5, 2004
The Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization was established to deal with crises in failed or post-conflict states and related emergencies. Ambassador Carlos Pascual was appointed Coordinator.
September 30, 2004
Administration of the Special Embassy Program was transferred to the Office of Rightsizing. The number of SEP posts had decreased from 52 to 50.
October 29, 2004
The Bureau of Legislative Affairs replaced five staffs with six Legislative Affairs Offices: Regional Affairs, Global and Functional Affairs, Senate Affairs, House Affairs, Executive Office, and Legislative Operations.
With this announcement (ORG-134), the term “Change Transmittal” replaced “Transmittal Letter.”
A Special Adviser for Stabilization and Security Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan was appointed. Retired General Claude Kicklighter reported to the Deputy Secretary and the Under Secretary for Political Affairs.
2005
The Bureau of South Asian Affairs assumed responsibility for the former Soviet Republics in Central Asia and became the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.
2005
The Bureau of Verification and Compliance was renamed “Verification, Compliance, and Implementation.”
February 1, 2005
The office of Counselor was re-established. Philip D. Zelikow was designated by the Secretary of State rather than appointed by the President.
March 22, 2005
An Office of Peacekeeping, Sanctions, and Counterterrorism was established in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.
May 26, 2005
The Special Embassy Program was terminated. A new office of Global Support Services and Innovation was established to meet the needs of smaller overseas posts.
July 29, 2005
The Under Secretary for Global Affairs was renamed “Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs.” The Bureaus of Arms Control and Non-Proliferation were merged into a new “Bureau of International Security and Non-Proliferation.”
August 19, 2005
In response to the North Korea Human Rights Act (P.L.108-333), President George W. Bush appointed Jay Lefkowitz as Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea. On March 31, 2006, the Special Envoy received an office in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
September 29, 2005
The Department of State opened its 17th passport agency in Aurora, Colorado.
November 28, 2005
The New Orleans Passport Agency, which had closed when Hurricane Katrina approached the city, reopened.
December 30, 2005
The Bureau of Consular Affairs began issuing electronic passports: the first were diplomatic passports.
February 16, 2006
A Senior Coordinator for Security Infrastructure was established in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
April 10, 2006
The Assistant Secretary for Administration became the Department’s Chief Freedom of Information Act Officer, in charge of compliance with Executive Order 13392.
April 27, 2006
In response to a recommendation by the Domestic Emergency Action Committee, the Office of Emergency Management was made to report directly to the Assistant Secretary for Administration. The Office was composed of the Planning and Preparedness and the Diplomatic Contingency Programs Divisions.
July 28, 2006
The Bureaus of European and Eurasian Affairs and International Organization Affairs completed the merger of their executive offices. The process had begun in August 2005 with cooperation between the Bureaus’ budget sections.
September 19, 2006
In the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, the Office of the UN System Administration became the Office of Management Policy and Resources.
October 26, 2006
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice announced the appointment of a Special Advisor to the Secretary and International Energy Coordinator, who would report through the office of the Under Secretary for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs. Gregory Manuel was appointed to the position.
Rice also announced that the Under Secretary’s title would be changed to “Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs.” The Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs would be renamed “Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs.”
January 22, 2007
The Department of State became the first executive agency to appoint a Chief Diversity Officer. Barry L. Wells, Director of the Office of Civil Rights, assumed the new title. He was, however, nominated Ambassador to The Gambia on July 26, 2007, and commissioned on October 29.
June 14, 2007
The Bureau of Consular Affairs opened a new Passport Center in Hot Springs, Arkansas that was exclusively dedicated to printing and mailing passports. Applications were transmitted electronically to it.
September 11, 2007
The Offices of Management Policy, Rightsizing the U.S. Government Overseas Presence, and Global Support Services and Innovation were combined into an Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing, and Innovation. Ambassador Patrick F. Kennedy was appointed Director.
September 25, 2007
The Department established its own blog, called DipNote.
October 2007
The George C. Marshall Wing of the Truman Building (which had been built for the War Department in 1941) completed its renovation. It then housed the Director of Foreign Assistance and the Bureaus of: Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs; Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs; Verification, Compliance and Implementation; International Security and Nonproliferation; and Intelligence and Research. It also included a conference center.
October 26, 2007
Secretary of State Rice dedicated the George C. Marshall Conference Center.
February 6, 2008
The Department of State announced the establishment of a Cyber Policy Group to coordinate its cyber-related activities.
February 15, 2008
The Department of State determined that infection with the HIV virus need not be a disqualification for admission to the Foreign Service.
March 13, 2008
The Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs reorganized its Office of Western European Affairs to also include Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. A new Deputy Assistant Secretary position was created to oversee the Offices of Nordic and Baltic Affairs and North Central European Affairs.
March 17, 2008
A three-year program for renovation of part of the north section of the Truman Building began. Reoccupation of offices in the north section began in fall 2012.
June 17, 2008
In the Bureau of European Affairs, the Offices of Austrian, German, and Swiss Affairs and of North Central European Affairs were combined into an Office of Central European Affairs.
June 30, 2008
The Tucson Passport Center was opened in Tucson, Arizona.
July 16, 2008
Secretary of State Rice announced the formation of the Civilian Response Corps, an organization intended to assist the reconstruction and stabilization of countries in crisis or conflict. Federal agencies represented included the Department of State, AID, and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice, and the Treasury.
September 3, 2008
Under Secretary for Public Affairs James Glassman announced the establishment of an Evaluation and Measurement Unit in the office of Policy, Planning, and Resources. It replaced the Public Diplomacy Evaluations Office in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and was meant to assess the effectiveness of public diplomacy programs.
November 1, 2008
A Consular Integrity Division was established in the Office of Fraud Prevention Programs in the Bureau of Consular Affairs. On January 1, 2009, the Office of Fraud Prevention Programs assumed responsibility for domestic passport fraud prevention programs. The Passport Integrity Division was transferred and renamed the Citizenship Fraud Unit.
November 3, 2008
A Human Resources Service Center opened in Charleston, South Carolina.
January 20, 2009
The Management function in the Department underwent an upgrade when Jacob L. Lew was nominated as Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources. He was appointed on January 29. Patrick F. Kennedy continued to serve as Under Secretary of State for Management.
February 17, 2009
The Bureau of Intelligence and Research changed the names of several of its offices. The Office of Intelligence Resources became the Office of Technical Collection Affairs. The Office of Intelligence Coordination became the Office of Counter-Intelligence and Consular Support. The External Research Staff became the Office of Outreach. The Cyber Policy and Operations Unit became the Office of Cyber Affairs. The Office of Research became the Office of Opinion Research. The Office of Analysis for Inter-American Affairs became the Office of Analysis for Western Hemisphere Affairs. The Current Intelligence Staff became the INR Watch. The Offices of Intelligence Operations, Analysis for Africa, and Analysis for Europe merely changed their acronyms.
February 25, 2009
The Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs underwent a reorganization that established the offices of Special Envoy for the Six-Party Peace Talks and Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. The regional offices of the bureau became: Maritime Southeast Asia (Brunei, Timor Leste, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore), Japanese Affairs, Korean Affairs, Mainland Southeast Asia (Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam), Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Island Affairs, and Chinese and Mongolian Affairs. The functional offices were: Regional and Security Policy Affairs, Economic Policy, Public Affairs, and Public Diplomacy. There was also a Director of the Taiwan Coordination Staff.
March 16, 2009
A new passport agency was opened in Detroit, Michigan. It was dedicated on May 11.
April 6, 2009
The Bureaus of Consular Affairs and Legislative Affairs began transitioning to an HR Shared Services model.
April 8, 2009
An Office for Global Women’s Issues was established in the Office of the Secretary of State. It replaced the Office of the Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Women’s Empowerment and the Office on International Women’s Issues in the Office of the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs. Its first Director, Melanne Verveer, held the rank of Ambassador at Large.
April 13, 2009
In the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, responsibility for Bangladesh was transferred from the Office of Pakistan Affairs to the Office of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives Affairs.
April 22, 2009
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a Global Partnership Initiative involving increased cooperation with private-sector organizations. Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley was appointed as Special Representative for Global Partnerships on June 18.
May 1, 2009
A Deputy Assistant Secretary for Global Information Services was established in the Bureau of Administration.
May 13, 2009
In the Bureau of Resource Management, the Office of Grants Financial Management was renamed the Office of Federal Assistance Financial Management.
May 18, 2009
A passport agency was opened in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
May 26, 2009
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs underwent a reorganization. The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary was in charge of the Executive Office and the Offices of Regional Affairs and Press and Public Diplomacy. The other three were responsible for geographic offices: India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and the Maldives; Central Asia (Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan); and the Offices of Pakistan and Afghanistan Affairs.
May 29, 2009
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs underwent a further reorganization. The Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary now oversaw the Office of Regional Affairs and a new Office of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh Affairs. Another Deputy Assistant Secretary oversaw the Office of Press and Public Diplomacy and the Office of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka Affairs. A Coordinator for Afghanistan and an Office for Afghanistan Reconstruction were authorized.
June 19, 2009
Secretary of State Clinton announced that same-sex partners of Department of State employees would be entitled to the benefits and allowances extended to family members. Preliminary changes in the Foreign Affairs Manual took effect on June 26.
July 10, 2009
Secretary of State Clinton held a Department Town Meeting to announce plans for a Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. The process, modeled on the Defense Department’s Quadrennial Defense Review, was intended to assess global challenges; foreign policy objectives and priorities; strategic recommendations; necessary tools, resources, and reforms; and measurements of outcomes. The Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources would chair a senior leadership team, with the Administrator of AID and the Director of Policy Planning serving as co-chairs. Five working groups were organized in October.
July 14, 2009
The Office of Oceans Affairs in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs was renamed “Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs.”
July 23, 2009
The Bureau of Human Resources established an Office of Resource Management and Analysis to oversee personnel management.
August 20, 2009
A Department Notice announced the establishment of the Office of the Coordinator for International Energy Affairs. David L. Goldwyn was the Coordinator.
September 28, 2009
The Office of Policy Coordination and Public Affairs in the International Programs Division of the Bureau of Consular Affairs was transferred to the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism and became the Office for Terrorism Information Sharing.
October 13, 2009
The Bureaus of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs, Educational and Cultural Affairs, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and the Office of the Coordinator of International Information Programs entered the Shared Services program of the Bureau of Human Resources.
October 21, 2009
The Office of Employee Relations in the Bureau of Human Resources was reorganized to form two new Divisions: Disability/Reasonable Accommodation, and Work/Life. State Magazine and the Division of Conduct Suitability and Discipline were retained.
November 23, 2009
A Department Notice announced the establishment of the Office of eDiplomacy in the Bureau of Information Resource Management.