Following his inauguration as the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden welcomed an all-female communication team to the White House.
The new all-female communication team aspires to be a step away from the chaotic behaviour of the previous administration. Five of the seven appointed members were part of the Obama administration.
But who exactly are the members of this team? Below we’ve provided an overview of President Biden's all-female communication lineup.
Kate Bedingfield
Role: Communications Director
Having served as deputy campaign manager and communications director for the Biden 2020 presidential campaign, Bedingfield has a strong relationship with the new president. She also previously served as Biden’s communications director during his time as vice president in the Obama administration.
Jen Psaki
Role: Press Secretary
Psaki also has experience in working for Obama's communication team, where she served as communications director. She has also been spokesperson at the State Department and fulfilled various positions for the Democratic Party and its politicians.
Karine Jean-Pierre
Role: Principal Deputy Press Secretary
Jean-Pierre used to work as Kamala Harris' chief of staff and for the Obama administration as the regional political director. A committed LGBT+ activist, she is also a senior executive for the liberal think tank MoveOn and provides political analysis for media outlets NBC and MSNBC.
Pili Tobar
Role: Deputy Communications Director
Tobar is a Guatemalan-American immigration reform advocate and the deputy director of America's Voice, an advocacy group for immigration reform. She was also a key member the communications team for Biden's presidential campaign.
Symone Sanders
Role: Senior Adviser and Chief Spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris
Sanders is an African-American author and activist for juvenile justice. She previously worked as a staff member for Bernie Sanders and has been a political commentator for CNN. Sanders was named as one of Rolling Stone's “16 Young Americans Shaping the 2016 Election”.
Ashley Etienne
Role: Communications Director for Vice President Kamala Harris
A former communications director and senior adviser to the current Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Etienne has also previously worked in the Obama White House as a spokesperson and special adviser. Additionally, she served as a senior adviser within Biden's presidential campaign.
Elizabeth Alexander
Role: Communications Director for First Lady Jill Biden
Alexander is a lawyer who has previously served as Biden's press secretary during his tenure as vice president and as his communications director during his time as a US senator. She previously worked for other Democratic congressmen before starting a career as a lobbyist.
Significance?
President Biden‘s all-female communication team marks a historic moment for the White House. Never before has a White House senior communication team consisted uniquely of women, with four of the seven appointees being women of colour.
Regardless of whether could be considered a publicity stunt, President Biden has stated in the past that transparent and truthful communication with the American people is vital for any president. It remains to be seen whether his administration can maintain a constructive rapport with the media in contrast to his predecessor's antagonistic relationship with the press.
For more Cheat Sheets on White House affairs, head to our dedicated US Politics section.