Thomas A. Shannon

Thomas A. Shannon Jr.


Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office February 12, 2016
President	Barack Obama Donald Trump
Preceded by	John Kerry
Succeeded by	Rex Tillerson
United States Secretary of State Acting
In office January 20, 2017 – February 1, 2017
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Wendy Sherman
In office July 28, 2011 – September 21, 2011 Acting
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	William Joseph Burns
Succeeded by	Wendy Sherman
Counselor of the United States Department of State
In office December 24, 2013 – February 12, 2016
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Heather Higginbottom
Succeeded by	Kristie Kenney
United States Ambassador to Brazil
In office February 4, 2010 – September 6, 2013
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Clifford Sobel
Succeeded by	Liliana Ayalde
Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs
In office October 17, 2005 – November 10, 2009
President	George W. Bush Barack Obama
Preceded by	Roger Noriega
Succeeded by	Arturo Valenzuela
Personal details
Born	Thomas Alfred Shannon Jr. 1958 (age 58–59)
Education	College of William and Mary (BA) University of Oxford (MPhil, PhD)

Thomas Alfred "Tom" Shannon Jr. (born 1958) is an American diplomat who served as acting United States Secretary of State until the confirmation of U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee, Rex Tillerson. He has also served as the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs at the Department of State since February 12, 2016.

Shannon has worked in the United States Foreign Service since 1984, and has served in embassies around the world. From 2005 to 2009, he was the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and from 2010 to 2013 he was the United States Ambassador to Brazil. From 2013 to 2016, he served as a Counselor of the United States Department of State, and was also the acting Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs for a period in 2011.

Shannon graduated from the College of William & Mary with a B.A. with high honors in government and politics in 1980. He was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society during his time at the college. He went on to the University of Oxford, where he completed an M.Phil. in 1982, and a D.Phil. in 1983, both in politics.

Shannon subsequently joined the United States Foreign Service as a Foreign Service Officer. He was the Consular/Political Rotational Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, Guatemala from 1984 to 1986; Country Officer for Cameroon, Gabon, and São Tomé and Príncipe from 1987 to 1989; and the Special Assistant to the Ambassador at the US Embassy in Brasília, Brazil from 1989 to 1992.