Wendy Sherman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wendy Sherman
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Official portrait, 2021
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| 21st United States Deputy Secretary of State | |
| In office April 14, 2021 – July 28, 2023 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Stephen Biegun |
| Succeeded by | Victoria Nuland (acting) Kurt M. Campbell |
| Acting November 3, 2014 – January 9, 2015 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | William J. Burns |
| Succeeded by | Antony Blinken |
| 21st Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs | |
| In office September 21, 2011 – October 2, 2015 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Secretary | Hillary Clinton John Kerry |
| Preceded by | William J. Burns |
| Succeeded by | Thomas A. Shannon Jr. |
| 26th Counselor of the United States Department of State | |
| In office August 6, 1997 – January 20, 2001 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Tim Wirth |
| Succeeded by | Philip D. Zelikow |
| 23rd Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs | |
| In office May 12, 1993 – March 29, 1996 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Janet G. Mullins Grissom |
| Succeeded by | Barbara Larkin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Wendy Ruth Sherman
June 7, 1949 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Bruce Stokes |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Smith College Boston University (BA) University of Maryland, Baltimore (MSW) |
Wendy Ruth Sherman (born June 7, 1949) is an American diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in talks with other countries. She served as the Deputy Secretary of State for the United States from April 2021 to July 2023. This was a very important role, making her the second-highest-ranking official in the U.S. Department of State.
Before this, she was a professor at Harvard Kennedy School. She also worked as a senior advisor at a global consulting firm. Wendy Sherman started her career as a social worker, helping people in need. She has held many important government jobs. These include leading negotiations on big international issues.
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Early Life and Education
Wendy Sherman was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father, Malcolm Sherman, was a veteran of the U.S. Marines. Her family later moved to Pikesville, Maryland. She went to Pikesville High School.
She studied at Smith College from 1967 to 1969. In 1971, she graduated from Boston University. There she studied sociology and urban studies. Later, in 1976, she earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Maryland.
Career Highlights
Early Public Service
Wendy Sherman began her career helping others. She worked with women who had experienced abuse. She also helped people living in poverty. She believes her social work skills helped her in later negotiations. She once said these skills were useful with "dictators and members of Congress."
She was involved in community organizing. This meant working with activists to solve problems. One focus was finding affordable housing for low-income families.
Her early jobs also included political work. She was the director of EMILY's List. This group helps women who support certain causes get elected. She also led Maryland's office of child welfare. Later, she became the first president of the Fannie Mae Foundation. This foundation worked to help more people own homes.
North Korea Nuclear Talks
Wendy Sherman played a key role in talks with North Korea. This was during the Bill Clinton presidency. Her job was to coordinate U.S. policy on North Korea. The goal was to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons.
In 1994, an agreement was made. North Korea agreed to stop its nuclear weapons program. Sherman continued to lead these talks until 2001. North Korea promised not to make or test missiles that could reach the United States. They also offered to stop selling missile parts to other countries. Sherman believed that diplomacy was the best way to deal with North Korea.
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
From 2011 to 2015, Wendy Sherman served as the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. This made her the fourth-highest-ranking official in the U.S. Department of State. In this role, she led the U.S. team in important talks with Iran. These talks were about Iran's nuclear program.
She was the lead negotiator for the United States. These negotiations led to a major international agreement. It was called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. This agreement was reached in Vienna on July 14, 2015.
She also worked on other important issues. She helped improve safety for U.S. diplomats abroad. She also played a part in peace talks for Syria in 2016.
Deputy Secretary of State
In January 2021, Joe Biden nominated Wendy Sherman to be the Deputy Secretary of State. The United States Senate approved her nomination. She officially started her new role on April 14, 2021. She was the first woman to hold this important position.
As Deputy Secretary, she worked on many global issues. She retired from this role on July 28, 2023.
Personal Life
Wendy Sherman is married to Bruce Stokes. He is a former journalist. They met in 1978 while discussing low-income housing. They have one daughter.
Honours
See also
In Spanish: Wendy Sherman para niños
