Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary: Thomas Kelly

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs

Thomas Kelly, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, joined the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs in August 2011. As Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Mr. Kelly is the principal deputy to Assistant Secretary Andrew J. Shapiro, and supervises the Office of Security Negotiations and Agreements; the Office of the Coordinator for Counter-Piracy and Maritime Security; the Office of the Coordinator for the Foreign Policy Advisors Program; and the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs.

Mr. Kelly entered the U.S. Foreign Service in 1985. He has served in U.S. Missions in San Salvador (1985-1987), Santiago (1990-1993), Paris (1994-1998), Quito (2000-2003), Vilnius (2004-2007), Buenos Aires (2007-2010), and São Paulo (2010-2011). In both Vilnius and Buenos Aires, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission in the U.S. Embassies in those capitals. In São Paulo, Mr. Kelly served as Principal Officer and Consul General in one of the world’s largest U.S. consulates. He also worked in the State Department's Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (1988-1990) and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (1998-2000).

Mr. Kelly holds M.A. degrees in Development Economics from Stanford University (1994) and Latin American Studies from Georgetown University (1984). He received his Bachelor's degree from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service (1984). In 2003, the Department of State awarded Mr. Kelly the Herbert Salzman Award for Excellence in International Economic Performance for his work in Ecuador.

A citizen of California, Mr. Kelly speaks Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Lithuanian. He is married and has two children.