PERSON: Marie Harf

U.S. Department of State

Deputy Press Secretary

Marie Harf became the Acting Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State on March 27, 2015. Prior to her appointment she served as the Deputy Spokesperson from June 2013. In this role, she serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of State and other senior officials on communications strategy. Ms. Harf and the Acting Deputy Spokesperson are responsible for the Daily Press Briefings, and they also travels overseas with senior State Department officials.

Prior to joining the State Department, Ms. Harf served as a senior advisor to and press spokesperson for Chuck Hagel during his confirmation to be Secretary of Defense.

During the 2012 election, Ms. Harf was responsible for all national security and foreign policy issues on President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. In this role, Ms. Harf developed and implemented the campaign’s national security policy and communications strategy, and she served as a press spokesperson on national security issues. Ms. Harf was also a member of President Obama’s debate preparation team for the Town Hall and Foreign Policy debates.

Prior to joining President Obama’s re-election campaign, Ms. Harf was the Central Intelligence Agency’s Media Spokesperson. She crafted the CIA’s media strategy on a wide range of sensitive national security and intelligence topics.

Ms. Harf began her federal government career in the CIA’s Directorate of Intelligence, where she was an analyst on Middle East leadership issues. She produced finished intelligence products — including items for the President’s Daily Brief — on top foreign policy priorities, providing insight and context while identifying risks and opportunities for the United States.

Ms. Harf received her Master’s degree in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia, where her thesis evaluated the prospects for continued regime stability in Saudi Arabia. She graduated with honors from Indiana University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with concentrations in Jewish Studies and Russian and Eastern European Studies.

— state.gov