President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris announced an all-female White House senior communications team on Sunday.
“I am proud to announce today the first senior White House communications team comprised entirely of women. These qualified, experienced communicators bring diverse perspectives to their work and a shared commitment to building this country back better,” Biden said in a statement.
The all-new press team includes former Obama White House communications director Jen Psaki as press secretary. Kate Bedingfield will be the White House communications director. Bedingfield previously served as deputy campaign manager and communications director for the campaign.
The team’s most celebrated hire came courtesy of Symone Sanders, who will serve as a senior adviser and chief spokesperson for the vice president. Sanders worked as national press secretary for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign and is the former chair of the Coalition of Juvenile Justice Emerging Leaders Committee and is a former member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice.
Ashley Etienne, a senior adviser on the Biden campaign, will serve as the vice president’s communications director. Pili Tobar will serve as deputy White House communications director. Karine Jean-Pierre will serve as principal deputy press secretary, while Elizabeth Alexander, a Biden campaign senior adviser, will serve as communications director for first lady Jill Biden.
“Our country is facing unprecedented challenges — from the coronavirus pandemic to the economic crisis, to the climate crisis, and a long-overdue reckoning over racial injustice. To overcome these challenges, we need to communicate clearly, honestly, and transparently with the American people, and this experienced, talented, and barrier-shattering team will help us do that. These communications professionals express our commitment to building a White House that reflects the very best of our nation,” Harris said in a statement.
