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Mira Ricardel

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Mira Ricardel
United States Deputy National Security Advisor
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 2018[1]
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byRicky L. Waddell
Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration
In office
September 11, 2017 – May 2018
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byEric Hirschhorn
Succeeded byDaniel Hill (acting)
Personal details
Born
Mira P. Radielovic

(1960-07-05) July 5, 1960 (age 64)
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Robert Baratta (Divorced)
Vincent Ricardel
EducationGeorgetown University (BS)
Tufts University

Mira Radielovic Ricardel, for a while known as Mira Baratta (born July 5, 1960)[2], is an American government official currently serving as Deputy National Security Advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, since May 2018.[1] Earlier in the Trump administration she served as a Special Assistant to the President and Associate Director in the Office of Presidential Personnel,[3] and then Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration. Earlier in her career she served as a foreign policy advisor to U.S. Senator Bob Dole and held higher-level positions in the U.S. Department of Defense during the Presidency of George W. Bush. On April 23, 2018, new U.S. National Security Advisor John R. Bolton named her as his incoming deputy. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[4]

Early life and education

Born Mira P. Radielovic,[5] she is of Croatian descent.[6] Her father came from Breza, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and subsequently survived the Bleiburg massacre before leaving Yugoslavia in 1954 and arriving in the United States in 1956.[7][6]

Young Mira grew up in Pasadena, California, and at home spoke the Croatian language.[6] She also speaks and reads the Serbian language.[8] Her family followed the Croatian Catholic Church and worshipped in Arcadia, California.[6][8]

Ricardel received her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, graduating in 1982.[2] While at Georgetown she was a member of the Delta Phi Epsilon professional foreign service sorority.[5]

She then did doctoral course work at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, ending in the ABD state.[3] While at the Fletcher School she met Robert Baratta, who has been involved in aspects of Virginia politics and the federal government.[9] They married and she became known as Mira Baratta.[5]

Congressional affairs

Politically, Mira has characterized herself as a "Reagan Republican".[8] Baratta's public service began in 1986, working as a congressional affairs specialist and then a deputy director for congressional affairs in the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency at the U.S. Department of State. She served in the State Department until 1989.[10][11]

From 1989 to 1996, continuing to be known as Mira Baratta,[12][8] she was legislative assistant to Senate Republican leader Bob Dole, drafting legislation and specializing in foreign affairs and defense policy.[10] She made appearances in public,[12] and her work with Dole earned her a national portrayal in the Weekly Standard in 1995.[8] During the Bosnian War her in-depth personal knowledge of the languages and cultures involved was credited with improving Senator Dole's understanding of the conflict.[13] As one official said, "She knows the issues, so he knows the issues."[13]

Baratta's Croatian heritage brought forth accusations that she was influencing Dole to take an anti-Serbian policy stance.[8] But in fact Dole had a long record of warning about the actions and character of Serbia leader Slobodan Milosevic.[14] Baratta said of Dole in 1999, "He's been out there for a decade saying we need to get involved. And no one's been paying attention. Or they pay attention for a while and manage the problem, but they don't solve it."[14]

Then known as Mira Baratta, in a defense-related meeting in 2001

Baratta then served as an advisor on defense and foreign policy on Dole's Republican nomination-winning, general election-losing 1996 presidential campaign.[2][15]

Interlude

She served as a vice president for programming with the nonprofit organization Freedom House from 1997 to 1998 and as an independent consultant from 1998 to 2000.[10] During some of this time she lived in New York City and was a close neighbor of Monica Lewinsky.[2]

George W. Bush administration

Ricardel with DepSecDef Wolfowitz during a meeting in 2003

From 2001 to 2003, she was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs for Eurasia and was responsible for coalition building between the U.S. and governments in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Balkans. She received the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service on July 14, 2005.[11][16]

At some point of a previous time, her marriage to Robert Baratta ended. During this time, she became married to Vincent Ricardel, a photographer;[2] it appears to have taken place around 2002. She became known as Mira Ricardel.

Ricardel with SecDef Rumsfield in a 2004 meeting

From 2003 to 2005, Ricardel was the acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. She was the primary adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Defense regarding Europe, Eurasia, NATO, nuclear forces, missile defense, and arms control.[11][16]

Ricardel in a meeting with NATO officials in 2005

In the words of The Washington Post, "She developed a reputation as a Russia hawk and was seen as a tough bureaucratic player with a strong personality."[1] As Ricardel's nature evidenced during these Pentagon positions, one former colleague from that time later said, "She’s a very tough woman, very smart, does not suffer fools well. And if you happen to be the fool, she will let you know."[1]

Private sector

After leaving the Defense Department, Ricardel spent one year as Vice President of International Business Development for Teachscape, a company that creates educational training and support.[16]

From 2006-2015, Ricardel was employed by the Boeing Company as Vice President, Strategic Missile & Defense Systems, as well as Vice President of International Business Development, Network and Space Systems.[3] During her time with Boeing she was a resident of Alexandria, Virginia.[17]

In 2015, Ricardel joined Federal Budget IQ as a consultant.[18] Despite the orientation of its work, that of an involved governmental research firm, she was not considered a registered lobbyist.[19]

Donald Trump administration

Trump presidential transition team

Ricardel was a member of Donald Trump's presidential transition team.[20] She was the team's Department of Defense advisor.[21]

She was looked at for positions in the new administration in the Defense and State Departments, but was twice blocked based upon past bureaucratic run-ins, in the first instance by Secretary of Defense James Mattis and in the second by Department of State Chief of Staff Margaret Peterlin.[1]

Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration

Under Secretary Ricardel (front, right of center) at the USA Partnership Pavilion ribbon cutting at the Singapore Airshow in February 2018

So instead,[1] on March 30, 2017, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Ricardel for Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration in the U.S. Department of Commerce.[3] On April 28, 2017, Ricardel's nomination was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.[22] The nomination became emergent from that committee and she was confirmed by the entire U.S Senate on August 3, 2017.[23]

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross made a statement in support of Ricardel's actions in the position: "Since coming on board, she has helped keep sensitive technologies out of the hands of those who would do us harm, while also working to ensure that imports do not threaten to impair our national security."[1]

Deputy National Security Advisor

On April 23, 2018, she was named as the next Deputy National Security Advisor by the new National Security Advisor, John R. Bolton.[1] She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[24]″ The position does not require Senate confirmation and she was expected to take office sometime in the month of May.[1]

One of her first actions has been to push for the elimination of the position of White House cybersecurity chief.[25] This eventuality was effectuated on May 15, 2018.[26] White House officials quoted Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 70 in defending the move, which was criticized by many within the cybersecurity community.[27]

Awards and honors

In 2005 Ricardel was awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Josh Rogin (April 23, 2018). "John Bolton's new deputy is a hawk with sharp elbows, just like him". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 12, 2018. Story also visible outside paywall at this link.
  2. ^ a b c d e Steve Straehley (March 23, 2018). "Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration: Who Is Mira Ricardel?". AllGov.com. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e "President Donald J. Trump Announces Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. March 30, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  4. ^ "Membership Roster - Council on Foreign Relations". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Twelfth Line, Alpha Chapter Sisters List, accessed May 19, 2018
  6. ^ a b c d "Croatian American Mira Radielovic Ricardel Named to Trump Transition Team". Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  7. ^ "Donald Trump choseMira Radielovic Ricardel from BiH in his Team - Sarajevo Times". November 17, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "BOSNIA'S MIRA IMAGE". December 25, 1995. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  9. ^ Our Team, Partner, Capital Results, accessed May 19, 2018
  10. ^ a b c "Resume - Mira R. Baratta" (PDF). Department of Defense. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c "Biography" (PDF). Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 23, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  12. ^ a b http://www.afpc.org/event_listings/viewDelegation/826
  13. ^ a b Russell Watson (December 18, 1994). "A Sly Game Of 'Liar's Poker'". Newsweek. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Sending out an SOS". April 19, 1999. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  15. ^ "Washington Journal: Wednesday". C-SPAN.org. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  16. ^ a b c "Revolving Door: Mira Ricardel Employment Summary | OpenSecrets". www.opensecrets.org. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  17. ^ "Mira R. Ricardel, Compaign Fund & Political Contribution - ElectionFund.org". www.electionfund.org. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  18. ^ News, Defense. "Sources: Mattis, Ricardel clashed over Pentagon appointees". Defense News. Retrieved May 9, 2017. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  19. ^ "Lobbyists abound on Trump transition". POLITICO. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  20. ^ "Inside Trump's shadow national security council". The Washington Post. January 19, 2017. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  21. ^ "Current Agency Action Team structure". Politico. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  22. ^ "PN364 - Nomination of Mira Radielovic Ricardel for Department of Commerce, 115th Congress (2017-2018)". www.congress.gov. April 28, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  23. ^ Macagnone, Michael (August 3, 2017). "Senate Confirms Flood Of Trump Nominees". Law 360. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  24. ^ "Membership Roster - Council on Foreign Relations". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  25. ^ "Bolton pushing to eliminate White House cyber job". www.politico.com. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  26. ^ "White House sheds cyber coordinator role – TechCrunch". techcrunch.com. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  27. ^ "White House eliminates top cyber adviser post". Retrieved May 21, 2018.
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