Former Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe takes State Department role

The State Department announced Friday that former Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe would serve as special representative for global partnerships, a position that focuses on forging ties with the private sector on foreign policy priorities.  

“Special Representative McAuliffe brings a strong background in public-private partnerships and cross-sector engagement,” the State Department said in an announcement. “She has served on numerous non-profit and public boards and led several anti-hunger programs and initiatives in her previous role as First Lady of Virginia.” 

“Special Representative McAuliffe will draw on her experience working in both the public and non-profit sectors to advance top foreign policy priorities,” the announcement said.  

McAuliffe served as first lady of the Commonwealth of Virginia when her husband, Terry McAuliffe (D), was governor from 2014 to 2018. Last year, Terry McAuliffe ran and lost the gubernatorial race in Virginia to now-Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). 

The State Department highlighted Dorothy McAuliffe’s experience leading Virginia’s Council on Bridging the Nutritional Divide and her advocacy for school meal programs as first lady.  

The department also noted that she has served on the boards of FoodCorps, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Smithsonian Institution, in addition to being an adviser to Share Our Strength and the No Kid Hungry Campaign.   

McAuliffe will lead a team tasked with finding ways to collaborate with nonprofits, academia, and the private sector on issues like climate change, global migration, anti-corruption initiatives and supply chains, according to the State Department.  

There had separately been talk of Terry McAuliffe potentially joining the White House following his election loss last year, but it’s unclear where those conversations currently stand.