Gregory B. Starr became Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security on November 18, 2013 and served through January 20, 2017. In this capacity, Mr. Starr was in charge of the security and law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of State.

Diplomatic Security is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy throughout the world. Mr. Starr led a force of Special Agents, Diplomatic Couriers, Security Engineering Officers, Security Technical Specialists, general service staff, and other specialists.

He previously served as Director of the Diplomatic Security Service from April 2007 until his retirement in May 2009. He returned to Diplomatic Security on February 1, 2013 as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security, Director of the Diplomatic Security Service, and acting Assistant Secretary.

From May 2009 until January 2013, Mr. Starr served as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security. In that capacity, he oversaw the formulation of security policies and the implementation of programs to ensure the conduct of activities in a secure environment at U.N. headquarters and overseas locations around the globe.

Other domestic assignments for Mr. Starr have included Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Countermeasures (2004-2007), the Director of the Office of Physical Security Programs (2000-2004), Division Chief for worldwide local guard and residential security programs (1995-1997), and assignments to the Secretary’s detail, technical security operations, and the New York Field Office.

His overseas assignments have included Senior Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv (1997-2000), as well as Senior Regional Security Officer position in Tunis, Tunisia and Dakar, Senegal; and was assigned to the Regional Security Office in Kinshasa, Zaire (presently the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Mr. Starr is the recipient of Department of State awards including Senior Foreign Service Performance awards, and Superior and Meritorious Honor awards. He began his career as a Special Agent in July 1980 and joined the ranks of the Senior Foreign Service in 2001. Before his retirement from the U.S. Department of State in 2009, Mr. Starr held the rank of Minister Counselor in the Senior Foreign Service.

A New York native, Mr. Starr received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Forensic Science from the George Washington University.