Marcie Berman Ries, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Affairs
Bureau of Verification, Compliance, and Implementation
Marcie Ries is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Affairs. In this capacity, she is responsible for the management of the offices of Nuclear Affairs (NA), Strategic Issues (SI) and the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (NRRC). Further, she is the Deputy START Negotiator for the strategic arms reduction talks with the Russian Federation.
Ms. Ries is a senior foreign service officer with thirty-one years of experience in Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East. A specialist in national security and political-military matters, she has experience dealing with NATO, strategic and theater arms control, the Balkans and Iraq. She was Chief of Mission in Kosovo and the United States Ambassador to Albania. She has also served for a year as a Pearson Fellow in the Office of the Chairman of the House International Relations Committee.
Prior to assuming her responsibilities in VCI, Ms. Ries was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR). In this capacity, she was responsible for policy and management of relations with the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO), the European Union (EU), and Western Europe as well as strategic planning and personnel. EUR includes 50 countries and 72 posts.
From 2007-08, Ms. Ries was Minister-Counselor for Political-Military Affairs in Baghdad, Iraq. She has also served as United States Ambassador to Albania (2005-2007); Chief of Mission, U.S. Office Pristina, Kosovo; (2003-2004); and Director, Office of United Nations Political Affairs (2001-2003).
Ms. Ries’ experience abroad also includes four years as Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in London, four years as Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels, and tours in Turkey and the Dominican Republic. Languages include Turkish, Spanish, and French.
She is a graduate of the State Department’s Senior Seminar, the Department of Defense’s Pinnacle Course, a recipient of the U.S. Army’s Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, and three Department of State Superior Honor Awards.
