Strengthening civil society and democracy is at the heart of our foreign policy. Particularly through the Stand with Civil Society agenda, President Obama has significantly expanded the Administration’s efforts to support, defend, and sustain the work of civil society worldwide. Tomicah Tillemann has been a powerful voice in advancing this agenda within our government and around the world.

After five-and-a-half years at the State Department, Tomicah’s moving on to pioneering public policy work in social impact investment, but the rock solid foundation he built here is the cornerstone that others will expand upon within the Department. These efforts and these issues are now fully integrated. I know Assistant Secretary Tom Malinowski and Special Representative Drew O’Brien are already working to ensure that the civil society and democracy agenda Tomicah championed remain at the forefront of our diplomatic engagement.

From transforming the Community of Democracies, to creating the State Department’s Global Philanthropy Working Group, to pioneering the LEND Network to connect leaders in new democracies, SACSED (the Office of the Senior Advisor for Civil Society and Emerging Democracies) has been a catalyst for innovation and mobilized a remarkable coalition of partners. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the SACSED team and for their dedicated service, and I wish Tomicah great success as he takes up his new post in civil society.