Lee Satterfield serves as the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), leading the United States’ global efforts to engage individuals through academic, cultural, professional, sports, film, music and youth exchanges. As Assistant Secretary, she works to strengthen U.S. government public diplomacy exchanges and programs by building on the foundational premise of fostering mutual understanding to more directly connect to U.S. foreign policy goals, including access to education, economic equity, and societal opportunity and inclusion. The Assistant Secretary aims to bolster strategic U.S efforts to engage through cultural diplomacy, cultural heritage, and youth exchanges using a 360-degree approach to engage with the U.S. private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and like-minded nations and territories.
Assistant Secretary Satterfield has led a diverse professional career, which has included serving as: the President and Chief Operating Officer of Meridian International Center; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and Deputy Chief of Protocol of the United States during the Obama Administration; and, Chief of Staff to the U.S. Secretary of Labor, and Special Assistant to the President and Staff Director for The White House Office of Public Liaison in the Clinton Administration.
A native South Carolinian, Ms. Satterfield graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
Open Doors is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by IIE.
IIE’s mission is to help people and organizations leverage the power of international education to thrive in today’s interconnected world. IIE’s work focuses on advancing scholarship, building economies, and promoting access to opportunity.
The U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity.
EducationUSA is a U.S. Department of State network of over 430 international student advising centers in more than 175 countries and territories. EducationUSA is committed to promoting the diversity of U.S. higher education to help international students find their best fit.
USA Study Abroad is a U.S. Department of State entity focused on expanding and diversifying study abroad opportunities for U.S. students to gain critical skills in support of our national security and economic prosperity.
