Catherine M. Russell

In her nomination hearing, Russell said that, if confirmed, she would focus her work on six areas: first, ensuring that the State Department adopted gender issues into “all aspects of diplomacy”; second, promoting women's economic participation; third, implementing the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security; fourth, combatting gender-based violence; fifth, expanding political participation; and sixth, investing in women and girls’ health and education.

One of Russell's priorities was ending child marriage globally, which she outlined to the Senate in a 2016 testimony.

As part of that effort, Russell designed the U.S. Global Strategy to Empower Girls, released in March 2014. It enlisted the State Department, USAID, Peace Corps, and Millennium Challenge Corporation to pursue the same goal: “to ensure adolescent girls are educated, healthy, socially and economically empowered, and free from violence and discrimination.” This marked the first time a country had produced an adolescent girls’ strategy. Under Russell's leadership, the Office of Global Women's Issues worked with Secretary Kerry to secure $7 million for adolescent girls’ empowerment programming in Afghanistan in March 2016. Her office also worked with USAID and UNICEF to produce a three-year, $5 million program to reduce gender-based violence in schools.

As Ambassador, Russell traveled to dozens of countries during her time as Ambassador, including to: Afghanistan in November 13, the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2014 with Dr. Jill Biden. Russell's first trip was to Bali for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Russell was confirmed unanimously by the Senate on August 1, 2013. Vice President Biden swore her into office on January 17, 2014.

President Obama created the position in 2009, and made it a permanent ambassador-level position in 2013.

Russell is a longtime adviser to both Vice President Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Russell was tapped to serve as chief of staff to then-second lady-elect Jill Biden—a position she held from 2009 to 2013.

In 2007, Russell returned to work part-time for then-Senator Biden who was the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. She drafted the International Violence Against Women Act of 2007, modeled on the American legislation Biden introduced in 1994.

Since 1991, Russell has been married to Thomas E. Donilon, who is the former National Security Advisor to President Barack Obama. They have two children, Sarah (born 1996) and Teddy (born 1999). Her brother-in-law is Mike Donilon, a lawyer and political consultant who served as Counselor to Vice President Joe Biden.

After law school, Russell began working in Democratic politics. In 1984, Russell worked on Walter Mondale’s presidential campaign, on which she met her husband, Tom Donilon. In 1988 Russell worked on Joseph Biden’s presidential campaign.

Catherine M. Russell (born March 4, 1961) is an American policymaker who was the United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues from May 8, 2013, until January 20, 2017. Before that, she was chief of staff to the Second Lady of the United States, Jill Biden.