Brian Gunderson became chief of staff to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on January 28, 2005.
Mr. Gunderson came to the State Department from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, where he served as chief of staff under Robert B. Zoellick. In that role, he helped manage USTR as the agency completed trade negotiations with ten countries and launched negotiations with twelve others.
Before joining the Bush Administration, Mr. Gunderson was chief of staff to House Majority Leader Dick Armey. He was privileged to work on the major legislation of the President’s first term, including the first tax relief package, the USA Patriot Act, and trade promotion authority.
During the summer of 2002, Mr. Gunderson also served as the staff director of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, which developed and passed legislation setting up the newest federal department within eleven weeks after the President first made the proposal.
In other policy positions on Capitol Hill, Mr. Gunderson specialized in defense and foreign affairs. Early in his career, he played a key role in devising the military base realignment and closure process, which has closed over 100 unneeded military bases and continues to save $4 billion annually.
A native of Minnesota, Mr. Gunderson was educated at the University of Dallas and received a B.A. in history from Marquette University. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps reserve from 1982 to 1988.
