Wendy Sherman

From Grokipedia

Wendy R. Sherman is an American diplomat who served as the 21st United States Deputy Secretary of State from April 2021 to July 2023, the first woman to hold the position. In that role, she managed day-to-day operations of the State Department under Secretary Antony Blinken. Previously, as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 2011 to 2015, Sherman led the U.S. team in negotiations culminating in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a 2015 agreement aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, though the deal later faced criticism for its temporary restrictions and Iran's subsequent violations. Her earlier career included serving as Counselor of the Department of State from 1997 to 2001, where she advised on North Korea policy and Middle East issues, building on her initial experience as a social worker with a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland. Sherman, who began in government through roles in Democratic politics and advocacy, received the National Security Medal from President Barack Obama for her diplomatic contributions.

In brief

Sherman came to diplomacy from social work and politics, an unusual on-ramp that never quite left her voice. She learned to sit in rooms where the stakes were nuclear.

Harvard and a consulting shop filled the years between administrations. The brief was always the same: talk, listen, bring something home.