Nathan Alexander Sales is an American lawyer, academic, and government official who served as the coordinator for counterterrorism and special envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS within the U.S. Department of State from 2017 to 2021. Prior to public service he was an associate professor at Syracuse University College of Law, where his fields of research included national security law, counterterrorism law, administrative law, and constitutional law. Sales was also of counsel at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis.[1]

Nathan Sales
Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
In office
November 9, 2020 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byJim Jeffrey
Succeeded byvacant
18th Coordinator for Counterterrorism
In office
August 10, 2017 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byTina Kaidanow
Succeeded byElizabeth H. Richard
Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights
In office
September 29, 2017 – December 21, 2020
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded bySarah Sewall
Succeeded byEric Ueland
Personal details
Born
Nathan Alexander Sales

Canton, Ohio, U.S.
SpouseMargaret Tretter
Children2
EducationMiami University (BA)
Duke University (JD)
AwardsAttorney General's Award for Exceptional Service
Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award

Sales was also delegated the duties of under secretary of state for civilian security, democracy, and human rights between September 2017 and December 2020.[2]

Early life and education

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Sales was born in Canton, Ohio. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude,[3] from Miami University and his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the Duke University School of Law. In law school, he was research editor of the Duke Law Journal. Sales was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Order of the Coif. He clerked for Judge David B. Sentelle of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Career

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Sales prepares to sign his appointment papers to assume office on September 29, 2017.

Sales previously served as deputy assistant secretary for policy at the United States Department of Homeland Security and senior counsel in the Office of Legal Policy. In June 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Sales to serve as Coordinator for Counterterrorism. He was confirmed to this position by the United States Senate on August 3, 2017.[4] In September 2017, he was further delegated the duties of under secretary of state for civilian security, democracy, and human rights by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.[5] He held this position until December 2020. Additionally, he was appointed special envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November 2020.[6]

Sales is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council involved with its Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative and Middle East Programs,[7] as well as a senior fellow at The Soufan Center involved with global security issues and geopolitical dynamics including matters concerning terrorism, China, Russia, and Ukraine.[3]

Personal life

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Sales is married to Margaret Tretter and has two children.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts". The White House. June 9, 2017. Archived from the original on June 12, 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  2. ^ "On Nathan Sales's Service as Senior Official, Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights". U.S. Department of State. November 9, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Senior Fellow Nathan Sales". thesoufancenter.org. The Soufan Center. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  4. ^ "PN606 - Nomination of Nathan Alexander Sales for Department of State, 115th Congress (2017-2018)". www.congress.gov. August 3, 2017.
  5. ^ "Acting Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Ambassador Nathan A. Sales Travels to Colombia". U.S. Department of State. January 19, 2020.
  6. ^ "Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ambassador Nathan A. Sales Designated Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS". U.S. Department of State. November 9, 2020.
  7. ^ "Nathan Sales Nonresident Senior Fellow". atlanticcouncil.org. Atlantic Council. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Statement of Nathan Alexander Sales Nominee to be Coordinator for Counterterrorism Submitted to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee July 18, 2017" (PDF). foreign.senate.gov. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
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Government offices
Preceded by Coordinator for Counterterrorism
2017–2021
Succeeded by