Wikipedia

Michelle Giuda

Michelle Selesky Giuda (born Michelle Mai Selesky; February 18, 1985)[1] is an American businessperson and former government official.

Michelle Giuda
Official portrait of Giuda in 2024
Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
Acting
In office
February 12, 2019 – March 3, 2020
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byHeather Nauert (Acting)
Succeeded byUlrich Brechbuhl (Acting)
1st Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs
In office
May 28, 2019 – March 3, 2020
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byPosition Established
Succeeded byAaron Ringel
30th Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs
In office
February 3, 2018 – May 28, 2019
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byJohn Kirby
Succeeded byPosition Abolished
Personal details
Born
Michelle Mai Selesky

(1985-02-18) February 18, 1985 (age 39)
San Juan Capistrano, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles (BA)
George Washington University (MPS)

As of 2021, she serves on the advisory board for USAGM and the current CEO of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue. She was Executive Vice President of Geopolitical Strategy and Risk at the Weber Shandwick public affairs firm.[2] She has served as United States Assistant Secretary of State and acting Under Secretary of State, where she led the largest restructuring of the U.S. State Department in 20 years.[3] She is an NCAA gymnastics champion.

Early life and education

edit

Giuda was born Michelle Mai Selesky in San Juan Capistrano, California, on February 18, 1985.[1] Her mother had fled Vietnam days before the Fall of Saigon in April 1975.[4] Her father served in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War.[4]

Giuda graduated from Aliso Niguel High School in Aliso Viejo in 2003,[1] then graduated with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. In 2008, Giuda earned a Master of Professional Studies in political management from George Washington University.[5]

Gymnastics career

edit

In 2000, Giuda won the California high school state championship in floor exercise and placed second in the all-around competition. She competed one year in high school, then exclusively trained and competed at the Club level. She trained at the National Gymnastics Training Center in Aliso Viejo, California.[1]

At UCLA, Giuda was a four-year gymnast, twice serving as a team captain.[1] She was a member of the 2004 UCLA National Championship team and a four-time NACGC academic All-American. She earned All-Pac-10 honors on vault.[1] Her teammates included Olympians Kristen Maloney, Jamie Dantzscher, Mohini Bhardwaj, Kate Richardson, Tasha Schwikert, and Yvonne Tousek.

In 2009, Giuda was featured in a UCLA television advertising campaign highlighting student-athletes.[6]

Professional career

edit

She worked for five years as a senior member of former Speaker Newt Gingrich's communication team including time as the National Deputy Press Secretary for his 2012 presidential campaign.

PR News named her one of the 30 Under 30 Rising Stars in 2015.[7]

 
Giuda speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo at a reception supporting the U.S. Pavilion at Expo 2020 at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on July 29, 2019.

In 2018, Giuda was the Senior Vice President for Global Corporate Communications for Weber Shandwick, the youngest member of their 21-person Global Leadership Team. That year, the Asian American Business Development Center named her one of the "Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business."[8]

Giuda was sworn in as United States Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs February 3, 2018.[9] On February 12, 2019, she was appointed the acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.[10][11][12] As acting Under Secretary, on May 28, 2019, Giuda merged the Bureau of Public Affairs and the Bureau of International Information Programs to form the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, and assumed the newly-formed position of Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs.[13][14] She remained as acting Under Secretary until March 3, 2020, when Ulrich Brechbuhl took on the duties under delegation of authority.[15]

In March 2020, Giuda became Executive Vice President of Geopolitical Strategy and Risk at Weber Shandwick.[2]

Giuda joined the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue in 2022 first as director, and then became its CEO.[16]

In 2023, Giuda was nominated by President Biden[17] to serve on the bipartisan International Broadcasting Advisory Board of the U.S. Agency for Global Media which was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate.[18]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Michelle Selesky". UCLA. 2007. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Bradley, Diana (March 18, 2020). "Michelle Giuda rejoins Weber Shandwick as EVP of geopolitical strategy, risk". PRWeek.com.
  3. ^ Morello, Carol (April 12, 2019). "State Department to take a step into the digital age in effort to counter disinformation". The Washington Post.
  4. ^ a b "Michelle Giuda: Member Spotlight". Ellevate Network. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  5. ^ "Bruin Gymnastics Alumna Enjoying Successful Political Career". UCLA Athletics. April 29, 2009. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  6. ^ "UCLA advertising campaign feat. Michelle Selesky". UCLA YouTube. 2 September 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  7. ^ "PR News' 30 Under 30". PR News. 9 December 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  8. ^ "Michelle Giuda Named Top 50 in American Business". Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  9. ^ Marszalek, Diana (January 25, 2018). "Michelle Giuda Leaves Weber Shandwick For State Department Role". holmesreport.com.
  10. ^ United States Department of State. "U.S. State Department". Twitter. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  11. ^ United States Department of State. "Giuda, Michelle S." U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  12. ^ United States Department of State. "United States Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Twitter account". Twitter. Archived from the original on 2019-10-22. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  13. ^ "Administrative Timeline of the Department of State". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  14. ^ "Michelle S. Giuda". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  15. ^ "T. Ulrich Brechbuhl". 2017-2021.state.gov. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  16. ^ "Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue Names Michelle Giuda as Director". Tech Diplomacy. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  17. ^ House, The White (2022-12-05). "President Biden Announces Key Nominee". The White House. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  18. ^ "USAGM". USAGM. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
edit
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michelle Giuda.
Political offices
Preceded by
Office established
 Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs
2019–2020 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs
2018–2019 		Succeeded by
Office dissolved
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michelle_Giuda&oldid=1249268429"