Melissa Turley Toufanian serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategy, Outreach, and Events in the Department of State’s Bureau of Global Public Affairs. From April 2021 to January 2023, she served as Senior Advisor to the Spokesperson and Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs.
Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Melissa helped launch the Climate in Foreign Policy Project at the UN Foundation, an initiative aimed at better integrating climate change into broader foreign policy and national security conversations. Before that, Melissa served as communications director for Rep. Antonio Delgado (NY-19) during his 2018 campaign and first term on Capitol Hill.
From 2011 to 2017, Melissa served in the Department of State’s Office of the Spokesperson with a focus on the Secretary’s international press and public diplomacy engagements. She accompanied the Secretary and State Department Spokesperson on official travel to more than 70 countries. Melissa also served in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, focusing on research and public outreach related to refugee resettlement.
Melissa holds a Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from George Washington University.