Administration

Chief diversity officer leaving State Department

by Olafimihan Oshin 06/06/23 02:09 PM CDT

Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, a 30-year diplomat and the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the State Department, speaks during a ceremony at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, to name the State Department cafeteria after Ambassador Terence A. Todman, a six-time ambassador who reached the rank of Career Ambassador and led the charge to de-segregate the State Department cafeteria. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool)

Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley is leaving her position as the State Department’s first chief diversity and inclusion officer.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked the longtime diplomat in a statement Tuesday announcing her departure.

“The only way to ensure our foreign policy delivers for the American people is to recruit and retain a workforce that truly reflects the American people,” he said.

“Thanks to Gina’s leadership, the Department has made significant progress to live up to our commitment to create a more inclusive workplace,” he added.

Blinken tapped Abercrombie-Winstanley to be the department’s first chief diversity officer in April 2021.

Abercrombie-Winstanley has 30 years of experience working in foreign services and served as the deputy coordinator for counterterrorism during the George W. Bush administration.

Abercrombie-Winstanley’s hiring was part of an effort by the Biden administration to address the issue of minority representation in the government, as the State Department has come under fire to improve its own record of retaining and promoting foreign and civil service officers from minority groups.