Blinken appoints chief diversity and inclusion officer 10 months after the role became vacant

WASHINGTON — Ten months after the role became vacant, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has appointed a new chief diversity and inclusion officer at the State Department, according to a statement seen first by NBC News.

Zakiya Carr Johnson, an experienced race, social inclusion and diversity expert, will be tasked with building a workforce that “reflects America,” Blinken said in the statement.

NBC News spoke with around a dozen representatives and officials from various State Department employee organizations and groups, a number of whom were surprised that it took Blinken so long to fill a position that does not require Senate confirmation.

Although most supported Blinken’s efforts to elevate issues of diversity and inclusion, a number also said that they would have liked the opportunity to share their thoughts ahead of Carr Johnson’s appointment.

Chief among the challenges facing Carr Johnson will be “a massive retention issue at the department,” said Merry Walker, president of the Asian American Foreign Affairs Association. “Especially at the mid-levels.”

Representatives from other State Department employee organizations expressed similar concerns about keeping staff on board.

“We disproportionately see women and minorities leaving,” according to a senior official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Not in high numbers, but they add up over time and they harm our pipeline.”

But Blinken said in the statement that Carr Johnson, who served at the State Department from 2010 to 2017 before going on to start several organizations that work with historically marginalized communities, would bring “international expertise and a fresh perspective on how we build a workforce that reflects America.”

“Her previous work