John F. Kerry was the first-ever U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate from 2021 through 2024 and the first-ever Principal to sit on the National Security Council entirely dedicated to climate change. In this role, Kerry played a pivotal role in successful COPs at Glasgow, Sharm El Sheikh, and Dubai, where he helped move nearly 200 nations to make a historic first-ever commitment to transition away from fossil fuels.
From 2017-2020, Kerry was the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Visiting Distinguished Statesman and led Yale University’s Kerry Initiative, following his four years as the 68th United States Secretary of State.
As America’s top diplomat, he guided the Department’s strategy on nuclear non-proliferation, combating radical extremism, and elevating the existential threat of climate change. His tenure included the successful negotiation of the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Climate Agreement and signature achievements for four years of service in which the New York Times editorial board described him as “America’s Mr. Diplomacy.” From 1985 to 2013, Kerry served as a U.S. Senator representing Massachusetts and was Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2009 to 2013.
Secretary Kerry served in the U.S. Navy, completing two combat tours of duty in Vietnam, for which he received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star with Combat V, and three Purple Hearts. He received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his law degree from Boston College Law School. Secretary Kerry is the best-selling author of A Call to Service, This Moment on Earth with his wif,e Teresa Heinz Kerry, and his 2018 memoir, Every Day Is Extra, which The New York Times described as “a bittersweet reminder of what the country once demanded of its leaders.”
Secretary Kerry was the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States in 2004 and came within a handful of votes in one state of winning the presidency. On May 3rd 2024, Secretary Kerry was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Biden in recognition of his lifetime commitment to public service.