Dan Mickelson

Dan Mickelson joined the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) as the Sports Diplomacy Chief in January 2024.  Prior to joining ECA, he was the Chief of the Immigration and Employment Division in the State Department’s Visa Office where he often worked alongside USOPC, FIFA, and the major sports leagues.  Throughout his 14-year career with the Department as a Civil Servant, he has also served as the Deputy Director in the Office of Counterterrorism Finance and Designations, a Senior Advisor for the Deputy Secretary of State, and in temporary roles at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut and the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa.  Dan attended undergrad at the University of Michigan where he studied Political Science and worked for the Michigan football team; he later earned an MA in International Studies from the University of Miami in Florida.  He currently lives in Washington DC with his wife, two young children, and his 12-year-old dog named Ralph.