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Appointee Directory View:   Claudia McMurray -- Department of State Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Claudia A. McMurray was sworn as Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Environment and Science on February 21, 2006. The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs is responsible for a broad portfolio of global issues related to: environmental protection and climate change; conservation of the earth’s resources including the oceans, forests, wildlife and fisheries; international health issues including avian influenza and polio; and cooperation with other nations concerning science, technology, bioterrorism, and the use of outer space. The Bureau advances U.S. interests on these issues both bilaterally and through a wide range of multilateral agreements and organizations. From 2003 to 2006, Ms. McMurray served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Environment. In that position, her portfolio included all international environmental issues, including those related to free trade agreements, as well as wildlife and natural resource conservation issues. Prior to her appointment as Deputy Assistant Secretary, Ms. McMurray served as Associate Deputy Administrator and Chief of Staff to the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from August of 2001 to 2003. From 1998 to 2000, Ms. McMurray served as a Vice President at Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc. (VSA), a leading government relations firm in Washington, D.C., where she provided legislative and regulatory counseling concerning environmental and energy policy to a number of corporate and private foundation clients. Immediately prior to joining VSA, she ran McMurray & Associates, a strategic counseling firm providing strategic legislative and regulatory counseling to corporations, foundations, and business groups. Ms. McMurray came to VSA, after more than eight years in several key staff positions in the United States Senate. Until 1996, she served as a senior policy advisor and counsel to three senators, all of whom served as Chairmen of major committees. As General Counsel to Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN), Ms. McMurray provided counsel on legislative issues before the 104th Congress, including regulatory reform, the line-item veto, budget and tax reform, as well as environmental and natural resource matters. She also advised the Senator, first concerning his responsibilities as a subcommittee chairman of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, and later, concerning his transition to Chairman of the Committee. From 1991 through 1995, Ms. McMurray held the position of Republican Counsel to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. In that position, she advised Chairman John Chafee (R-RI) and the other Republican members of the Committee concerning environmental issues, including the Clean Air Act, Superfund, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Toxic Substances and Control Act, the Oil Pollution Act, as well as proposed brownfields legislation. She also assisted the Committee in overseeing the United States military’s compliance with federal environmental laws. Before joining the Committee staff, Ms. McMurray served for 2 years as Legislative Counsel to Senator John Warner (R-VA). She advised Senator Warner during the development of the landmark 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and Oil Pollution Act. During her tenure with Senator Warner, Ms. McMurray developed widely regarded expertise concerning the environmental implications of the United States military’s activities and realignment. Prior to working on Capitol Hill, Ms. McMurray practiced law with the law firms of Patton Boggs, L.L.P., and Kirkland & Ellis. During law school, she served in the Office of the Counsel to President Ronald Reagan. Ms. McMurray received her Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University, where she served as an Associate Editor of the law review The Tax Lawyer. She received an A.B. degree with honors in government from Smith College. Ms. McMurray lives with her husband in Great Falls, Virginia. (202) 647-1554

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