Josette Sheeran was named by the McCain Institute as its executive chair on Thursday after executive director Mark Green left his post, the Institute announced.
This is a newly created position by the McCain Institute after Green accepted a position as president, director and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars after serving as the executive director for less than a year. The Institute will soon start the search for a new executive director.
Sheeran will be the third person to hold a similar executive position since former executive director Kurt Volker resigned in 2019 after reports surfaced that he was involved in the Ukraine scandal that eventually led to former President Donald Trump's first impeachment.
READ MORE: McCain Institute head Kurt Volker steps down as US diplomat
Sheeran will also become a professor of practice at ASU and will be taking up the position as executive chair to “oversee a strategic evaluation of the Institute’s mission and programs with a goal of ensuring transformational impact in the US,” the McCain Institute stated.
The Institute, a think tank based in ASU’s Barrett & O’Connor Center in Washington, D.C., focuses on security, economic opportunity, freedom and human dignity.
Previously, Sheeran served as the president and CEO of the Asia Society and the United Nations special envoy for Haiti. She had also previously been an ambassador as a deputy U.S. trade representative and a founding trustee of the Institute.
Chairman of the McCain Institute Board of Trustees and widow of Sen. John McCain, Cindy McCain, expressed her excitement toward Sheeran's appointment in the press release from the McCain Institute.
“The Board of Trustees is very proud of the advances the Institute has made over the last nine years,” McCain said. “(We are) very excited that my good friend and fellow trustee, Ambassador Josette Sheeran, is joining our leadership team to help reimagine the Institute for the next 10 years.”
ASU President Michael Crow said in the statement Sheeran "is a transformative leader leader who brings a wealth of experience to the ASU ecosystem.
"We are excited about her involvement."
Reach the reporter at mcfisch4@asu.edu and follow @morgfisch on Twitter.
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Morgan Fischer is the politics editor, she works with her desk to cover topics related to politics in the ASU community. She has previously worked as an intern for RightThisMinute.
