Kris M. Balderston serves as the Special Representative for Global Partnerships at the Global Partnership Initiative within the Office of the Secretary of State. Prior to his role at the U.S. Department of State, Kris was Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s first Legislative Director in January 2001 before serving as her Deputy Chief of Staff from 2002-2009. As Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Balderston accomplished numerous successful private-public partnerships under the direction of then Senator Clinton with multiple stakeholders in the State of New York. At the Global Partnership Initiative, Kris leads global public-private partnerships in support of the Secretary’s priorities, including the Accelerating Market-Driven Partnerships, Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, International diaspora Engagement Alliance, and Partners for a New Beginning.
Kris began his career with the National Governors' Association and later ran the Massachusetts State Office for Governor Michael Dukakis from 1987-1991. He then became Senior Policy Advisor to Majority Leader George Mitchell at the U.S. Senate Democratic Policy Committee from 1991-1993. From 1993-1995, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Labor under Secretary of Labor Robert Reich.
Kris served in the White House from 1995-2001, as Special Assistant for Cabinet Affairs to President William Jefferson Clinton and then later as the Deputy Assistant to the President and the Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet.
Kris holds his BA in Political Science from LeMoyne College and his MA in Government from Georgetown University.
