Irwin Steven Goldstein, President Donald Trump's selection for under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, is a communications and marketing executive with experience at large corporations as well as in government. Goldstein was confirmed by a Senate voice vote and in the middle of November and is expected to start working at the State Department on December 4.

One of the State Department's top three senior officials is retiring this week. Ambassador D. Bruce Wharton was designated as Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (R) on December 8, 2016. He was one of the top two senior officials who remained at the State Department after the January 20 transition.