In January 2015, President Obama signed Executive Order (E.O.) 13689, Enhancing Coordination of National Efforts in the Arctic, which created a new Arctic Executive Steering Committee (AESC) responsible for fostering communication, coordination, and collaboration among the 25 Federal departments, agencies, and offices with responsibilities in the Arctic region. Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, serves as Chairman of the AESC. The Vice Chair is Deputy Homeland Security Advisor Amy Pope, and Ambassador Mark Brzezinski, recent U.S. Ambassador to Sweden, is the Executive Director.
Read the Executive Order.