Rex Tillerson, former chief executive of Exxon Mobil, was confirmed and sworn in as secretary of state on Wednesday. He addressed the State Department on Thursday with a charming speech that helped to quell some concerns that surrounded his nomination.
"I want to embrace accountability, honesty, and respect no less than anyone," Tillerson told a room full of State Department employees. "Before President Trump called me, I thought I would be entering retirement this spring after four decades of business experience."
He shared a playful statement from his wife, saying that after he met with President Trump for the first time, his wife said, "You didn't know it, but you've been in a 41-year training program for this job."
"Despite our own dreams, she said, 'You're supposed to do this,'" Tillerson recalled. "Well, on my first days here, I'm on the job. Hi, I'm the new guy."
He acknowledged the hard work put forth by the employees of the State Department, and made clear his admiration for them and his hopes to emulate their qualities.
"As such, I will depend on the expertise of this institution. There are over 75,000 members of the State Department work force, both foreign and civil service employees, with an average of over 11 years of service in the department," Tillerson continued. "You have accumulated knowledge and experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else. Your wisdom, your work ethic, and patriotism is as important as ever, and as your secretary I will be proud to draw upon all of these qualities in my decision making."
"I ask that you join me in upholding high standards of ethics and professionalism, committing to personal accountability and honesty and respecting your colleagues."