The Secretary appointed Tomicah Tillemann as Senior Advisor for Civil Society and Emerging Democracies in October 2010. In coordination and collaboration with department bureaus, Dr. Tillemann and his staff are responsible for helping to develop and operationalize the Secretary's civil society agenda and strengthen emerging democracies. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Tillemann served as a speechwriter to the Secretary and assisted her in framing and articulating the policies of the United States for a global audience. Before joining the Department of State, he worked for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he was the principal policy advisor on European and Eurasian affairs to then-Chairman Joseph Biden. Dr. Tillemann’s other professional experience includes work with the House Subcommittee on International Organizations, Security, and Human Rights, the White House Office of Media Affairs, and five U.S. Senate and Congressional campaigns. He has also helped to found and lead numerous civil society organizations, including the Lantos Foundation and the Student Campaign for Child Survival. He received his BA magna cum laude from Yale University and holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.
