United States Ambassador Susan Rice will be replacing Tom Donilon as national security advisor under President Barack Obama.
Donilon announced his resignation and will finalize the effect next month, entering a new phase in his career and it;s not clear if he is moving into a new role elsewhere.
Donilon faced criticism earlier this year when he was illustrated as a "sharp-elbowed infighter" and heavy-handed boss in Foreign Policy magazine, hurting his relationship with other White House officials, including the White House chief of staff Denis R. McDonough.
Donilon is an experienced member of the Obama administration and has acted as a government official and lawyer for many years, only to have assumed the role and replace James Jones as National Security Advisor in 2010.
The announcement will be made late morning or afternoon on Wednesday, and could take place in the White House Rose Garden as he is scheduled to deliver a statement.
Susan Rice, 48, a long time backer of President Obama, has been a member of his administration's cabinet since 2009, and served "on the front lines of the President's 'new era of engagement.'"
Her mission at the United Nations was to ensure the success of the world's common security and prosperity as well as protect and promote universal values and human rights.
According to the United Nations, "Under Ambassador Rice's leadership, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations has helped win the stiffest UN sanctions ever against Iran and North Korea, unprecedented action to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and materials, support for life-saving interventions" around the world.
Her nomination comes on the heels of the Benghazi hearings where, early on, Rice became a punching bag for the Republican party based on her handling of the attacks that took place on September 11, 2012 that killed four -- among them was U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens -- and injured 10 others.
The portrayal of Rice during that time hurt her chances of becoming Secretary of State, replacing Hilary Clinton, but this new role - which does not need senate approval - will put her in charge of U.S. foreign and national-security policies, including: "co-ordinating the interaction between various cabinet agencies to forge an unified agenda - and acting as the chief proxy on foreign policy for the president of the United States."
Samantha Power, former Obama specialist and director at the National Security Council, was been positioned to be Rice's replacement at the United Nations, said a White House official.
