i roasted the ranks at uci s, first as an appeals officer, then as manager, and finally us chief of staff at the agency. in 2013, my wife and i made the decision to return to international service and i spent the last four years serving at our embassy in the philippines and south korea. i had the pleasure of working with others throughout the world. i remain a dedicated civil servant to this day. if confirmed, it will be the privilege of a lifetime to lead the fine men and women at the bureau of consular affairs. consular bureaus are our first line of defense in our effort to protect the united states from those who do us harm. they are among the most hard-working, bravest, and most dedicated in government service. they work in dangerous, and comfortable places to serve the american people. this work is complex and emotionally taxing and i am immensely proud to say i was once one of them. a consulary is officer, so much has changed for the better at the state department. a suite of interagency review processes continue vetting of applicants with updated technology while metrics provide a