By BARBARA J . WELCH , Esq . Essenson Law Firm
In addition to ushering in a Vice
President , Kamala Harris , who is female and a person of color , the new Biden-Harris administration is shattering previous genderparity numbers with a record number of women holding key positions in senior White House staff and nominated for Cabinet or Cabinet-level positions . This article introduces these women and their positions . n Communications Director : Katherine Joan Bedingfield , not yet 40 years old . She was the deputy campaign manager for the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign and former communications director for Joe Biden when he was vice president . She also previously served the Obama administration as director of response and deputy director of media affairs . Bedingfield was also the vice president of corporate communications for the Motion Picture Association of America . n Deputy Communications Director : Pili Tobar . Tobar was born in Florida and raised in Guatemala . She previously served as the director of Hispanic media for the Democratic National Committee from 2013 to 2015 , and then served as Hispanic media director for Senator Chuck Schumer in 2015 . Before joining the Biden 2020 campaign as communications director for coalitions , she was managing director and then deputy director for America ’ s Voice , a liberal immigration reform organization . n Deputy Chief of Staff : Jennifer Brigid O ’ Malley Dillon . President Biden ’ s Chief of Staff is Ronald Klain , and O ’ Malley Dillon is one of the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff , serving with Bruce Reed . O ’ Malley Dillon was the manager of Biden ’ s 2020 campaign , having previously managed Beto O ’ Rourke ’ s 2020 campaign . She worked on Al Gore ’ s 2000 campaign , John Edward ’ s 2004 campaign , and Obama ’ s 2008 campaign before serving as deputy campaign manager for Obama ’ s reelection campaign . n Press Secretary : Jen Psaki .
BARBARA J . WELCH , Esq . Essenson Law Firm
WOMEN ’ S HISTORY MONTH
Women making history
Introduction to the women in the Biden-Harris administration
Jen Psaki served as deputy press secretary for John Kerry ’ s 2004 campaign . Psaki served as traveling press secretary during Obama ’ s 2008 campaign , then served as the Obama administration ’ s Deputy Press Secretary , and then served as Obama ’ s Deputy Communications Director . After a year in the private sector , Psaki returned as press secretary for Obama ’ s reelection campaign , and a year later became spokesperson for the Department of State . n Deputy Press Secretary : Karine
Jean-Pierre , who was senior advisor to the Biden 2020 campaign . Jean- Pierre was the southeast regional political director for Obama ’ s 2008 campaign and then served as the regional political director for the Obama ’ s Office of Political Affairs . In 2011 , Jean-Pierre served as National Deputy Battleground States Director for Obama ’ s re-election campaign . You may remember Jean- Pierre from a viral video showing a media kerfuffle on June 1 , 2019 , when Jean-Pierre was moderating an all-female MoveOn forum with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris . While Harris was speaking , a male animal rights activist jumped on stage and rushed toward Harris to grab her microphone . Jean-Pierre jumped to her feet as he reached Harris and almost reflexively placed herself between Harris and the activist , shooing him away from Harris until security intervened . n Communications Director to the Vice-President : Ashley Etienne , a senior adviser for strategic planning to the Biden 2020 campaign . She previously served as director of communications for Obama ’ s cabinet and special assistant to Obama . During the previous administration , Etienne became the first female and first person of color to serve as Communications Director and senior advisor to the House Speaker . n Chief Spokesperson for the Vice-President : Symone Sanders , a senior advisor to the Biden 2020 campaign , who previously served as the national press secretary for the Bernie Sanders 2016 campaign . n East Wing Communications Director : Elizabeth E . Alexander , who previously served as Biden ’ s
Communication Director in his Senate office and Biden ’ s Press Secretary when he was Vice-President . Her title is Communications Director for the First Lady of the United States .
Of the following fourteen Cabinet and Cabinet-level positions for which women have been nominated , ten are women of color : n Secretary of Housing and Urban Development : Rep . Marcia
Fudge ( D-Ohio ), who is a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus . n Secretary of Energy : Former Michigan Gov . Jennifer Granholm , who worked closely with the Obama administration amid the 2009 recession and gave a fiery speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention . n Secretary of the Treasury ( confirmed on 1 / 25 ): Janet Yellen , the first woman to head the Federal Reserve and previous Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors . She is the first woman to lead the Treasury since its inception in 1789 . n Secretary of the Interior : Rep . Deb Haaland ( D-N . M .), who is one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress in 2018 . This nomination is particularly historical , given the Agency ’ s significant role in the forced relocation and oppression of Native American people . n Director of National Intelligence ( confirmed on 1 / 20 ): Avril Haines , who is a former deputy director of the CIA and principal deputy national security adviser under the Obama administration , and is the first woman to have held both positions . n Secretary of Commerce : Rhode Island Gov . Gina Raimondo , who was re-elected governor in 2014 and is a former chair of the Democratic Governors Association . n Administrator of Small Business Administration : Isabel
Guzman , former deputy chief of staff at the SBA during Obama ’ s tenure and director of the Office of the Small Business Advocate in California . n Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers : Cecilia Rouse ,
See WOMEN , Page 18
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