Out Diplomat Curtis Ried New National Security Council Chief of Staff
Curtis Ried has been named chief of staff at the National Security Council, making him the first out member of the LGBTQ+ community to hold that post or any senior leadership position at the NSC, NBC News reports.“We are excited to have Curtis take on this critical leadership role for our team,” said a statement from National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. “I’m confident he will bring to it his trademark smarts, skills, and collegiality, sharpened across his nearly 20 years as a Foreign Service Officer and multiple tours at the NSC.”Ried is currently senior director for multilateral affairs at the NSC.
As chief of staff, he will succeed replaces Yohannes Abraham, who was confirmed by the Senate in August as ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Vice President Kamala Harris will swear Abraham in Monday night.Ried has been a foreign service officer with the State Department of State for nearly 20 years.
He has worked in Algeria, East Timor, Indonesia, Iraq, and Israel, and developed a specialization in the Middle East before serving as a political adviser to the U.S.
