Richard Grenell was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy for the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations in 2001. Mr. Grenell has spent the last fourteen years as the primary communications advisor for public officials at the local, state, federal and international levels. Mr. Grenell has advised four U.S. Ambassadors - John D. Negroponte, John C. Danforth, John R. Bolton and Zalmay Khalilzad - on the formulation and articulation of United States policy at the United Nations. Mr. Grenell was also appointed by John C. Danforth in 2004 as an Alternative Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations Security Council with full voting rights and privileges.

Mr. Grenell has served as the United States Spokesman at the United Nations during the world body’s most turbulent time. Mr. Grenell and his staff of fourteen are responsible for all aspects of media relations, public relations, public affairs, marketing communications, communications strategy, crisis communications, special events, business community outreach and the website. He and his team have led communications strategies on issues such as the war on terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq; peacekeeping operations in Haiti, Liberia, the Congo and Sudan; the conflict in the Middle East; Iran’s nuclear weapons program; a North Korean missile test; Syria/Lebanon conflict; and the UN’s Oil for Food Corruption investigation to name a few.

Mr. Grenell has also been appointed as a United States delegate to a variety of United Nations’ Conferences, including the Financing for Development Conference (3/02), the Special Session on Children (5/02), the World Food Summit (6/02), the World Summit on Sustainable Development (8/02), the Iraq Donors Conference (10/03), the Liberia Donors Conference (2/04), the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Preparatory Committee (8/04), the NPT Review Conference (5/05), the High Level Event on HIV/AIDS (5/06), and the Commission on Population and Development (4/07).

Prior to his service at the United Nations, Mr. Grenell served as Spokesman/Director of Communications for Mayor Susan Golding of San Diego. While in San Diego, Mr. Grenell helped lead a successful campaign for a $1.2 billion ballpark redevelopment project that included 26 downtown blocks anchored by a baseball stadium for the San Diego Padres. Mr. Grenell has also served as a spokesman in Governor George Pataki’s Administration in New York where he led a successful campaign to redesign the advertising and image for the $3 billion New York Lottery. In addition, Mr. Grenell served as Spokesman/Director of Communications for Congressman (and current Governor) Mark Sanford of South Carolina, and Congressman Dave Camp of Michigan.

Mr. Grenell has moderated several United Nations Panel Discussions on subjects ranging from Children in Armed Conflict, Environmentally Smart Packaging Solutions and Alternative Clean Energy Solutions.



Mr. Grenell is also an active speaker on issues involving crisis communications, the media, new media for communications professionals, the United Nations and international issues ranging from the Sudan to North Korea and the Middle East. Grenell was a featured guest speaker for Governor Schwarzenegger’s 2008 Homeland Security Annual Conference.

Mr. Grenell received a Bachelor’s Degree in Government and Public Administration from Evangel College and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Mr. Grenell currently holds a United States Government Top Secret Security Clearance (TS/SCI) and has completed WMD Chemical and Biological weapons training, as well as Cyber Security training.

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