Whitney Baird is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Previously she served as Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to the OECD, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for West Africa and Security Affairs in the Bureau of African Affairs, and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Europe and European Union and Regional Affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. She was Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in London from 2014-2017. Prior to London Whitney Baird served in the Economic Bureau of the Department of State as Special Advisor for Trade Negotiations, Director for Multilateral Trade Affairs, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade, and Acting Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs. Ms. Baird has also served overseas in Madrid, Spain; Dakar, Senegal; Lomé, Togo; Toronto, Canada; and Yaoundé, Cameroon. She has served in Washington as Deputy Director of the State Department Operations Center, Senior Watch Officer, Secretariat Staff Officer, and Watch Officer.
Ms. Baird graduated from the University of North Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She earned a master’s in international security studies from the National War College.