Appointment of Brian Besanceney as Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning

Mr. Besanceney comes to the State Department from the Department of Homeland Security, where he served as the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. Previously he served at the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications (2003-2005), and Director of Domestic Policy Communications (2001-2003), developing and implementing communication strategies on a wide range of public policy issues. From 1996 to 2001, Mr. Besanceney was communications director for then-U.S.Representative Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who now serves as Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. He also has worked for several consulting firms in the Washington, D.C. area.

Mr. Besanceney earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science at The Ohio State University in 1993.

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