Kerry Taps Old Friend for State Department Post

Secretary of State John Kerry is hiring a protégé he met on the campaign trail two decades ago to lead an initiative at the State Department.

Former Virginia Rep. Tom Perriello will oversee the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, The Washington Post reports.

He will examine the performance and effectiveness of State Department efforts in diplomacy and foreign aid.

The Democrat, who most recently served as CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, worked for Kerry's 1996 Senate campaign at the age of 22, helping to get out the environmental vote.

Perriello, once labeled an "unapologetic progressive" by Time magazine, pulled off a slim victory in his 2008 congressional campaign in a GOP-leaning district in central Virginia, but lost the seat two years later.

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