acting secretary
Stand-in department head
An acting secretary is someone temporarily filling the role of secretary—whether in an organization or government position—until a permanent appointment is made or the regular holder returns.
The term appears most often in government contexts: The acting secretary of defense addressed reporters.
Acting signals the position lacks full official status or Senate confirmation.
- interimProvisional in-between phase
- temporaryLimited in duration
- appointedAssigned to office
- deputyAuthorized substitute or assistant
- understudyBackup actor, ready nightly
caretaker · placeholder · stand-in · fill-in · substitute · resignation · power vacuum · vacancy · Senate confirmation · confirmation · appointee · political appointee · cabinet · cabinet position · bureaucrat · chain of command · official · administration