evidence: Meanwhile, State Department leaders like Julie Chung, the acting assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, her colleague Stacy Williams, chair of the Bureau’s Diversity Council, and Hood of the Near Eastern Affairs bureau continue to develop their own strategies to retain more diverse diplomats and help them rise. Both bureaus have instituted standardized questions for hiring and laid down an expectation that all diplomatic outposts would start diversity and inclusion councils. Chung and Williams have built programs for retention and professional development at different career levels, from welcoming incoming diplomats to pairing midcareer officers with more senior mentors who can help them navigate the system. "Recruitment is the easy part," Chung said. "Retention and promotion to senior levels is still lacking and where we need to put in the work."