Marie Royce – Assistant Secretary, United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Marie Royce was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs on March 30, 2018. In this capacity, she oversees a wide range of programs that advance U.S. foreign policy objectives through educational, professional, cultural, and sports exchanges that promote mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other nations and create networks and partnerships to advance U.S. foreign policy goals and address global challenges and opportunities.

Ms. Royce, a businesswoman and former professor, had been the CEO and Principal of Marie Royce, LLC in Fullerton, California since 2016. She has over 30 years of experience in the private sector with Fortune 500 companies and as a small business owner, creating and launching start-ups and new initiatives and serving as a key business liaison to 80 countries. As a former educator/full-time university professor, Ms. Royce led an international grant program between two universities. She has engaged many federal government agencies and served on 20 non-profit boards. She also served as a private sector appointee on the Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy (ACICIP) at the State Department, in addition to serving on two U.S. Cultural Exchange Boards. She traveled as an American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) delegate to Hungary and Poland. The American Women for International Understanding (AWIU) recognized her with their Internationalism Award. Ms. Royce earned a BSBA (double major) at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and an MBA at Georgetown University in International Business, with honors, Beta Gamma Sigma. She is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.