Kirsten D. Madison

Deputy Assistant Secretary
Cuba, Central America

Kirsten D. Madison became Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs in February 2006. Her portfolio includes a broad range of issues regarding U.S. policy toward Cuba and the countries of Central America. At the time of her appointment, she had served as Director for Central American and Caribbean Basin Affairs at the National Security Council since August 2003.

Ms. Madison previously served in 2003 in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary. In 2002, she was Senior Advisor to Cesar Gaviria during his tenure as Secretary General of the Organization of American States.

From 1992 to 2002, Ms. Madison worked as a Congressional staffer. Initially, she handled foreign affairs and national security issues in the office of Representative Porter Goss, where she served also as Legislative Director. Moving to the Senate side of the Congress, Ms. Madison was a senior professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff of Senator Jesse Helms.

Ms. Madison holds a M. Sc. (ECON) from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a B.A. from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland.

Released on October 5, 2006