President Biden Announces Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms as Senior Advisor for Public Engagement

Table Of Content

• Tamir Rice All Over Again: Video Shows Akron Cop Quickly Shooting Black Teen Holding Fake Gun
• Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to join White House as top aide
• The Tragic Death Of Missing Mother Tomitka Jurnett-Stewart Must Finally Call Us To National Action
• Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to join Biden administration, White House official says
• News
• Keisha Lance Bottoms announces departure from White House role
• Crystal Mason Update: Texas DA Moves To Reverse Black Woman’s Recently Overturned Voting Fraud Conviction

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced that Bottoms, 52, will serve as senior advisor to the president for public engagement. Bottoms, 52, was an early supporter and top surrogate for President Joe Biden's 2020 campaign, and was on a list of potential vice presidential picks. She was considered for a number of administration posts after Biden’s victory, including head of the Small Business Administration, but ultimately chose to stay on as mayor. Bottoms later decided not to run for a second term, and has remained close to Biden’s inner circle since leaving office in January. Julie Chavez Rodriguez currently serves as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Tamir Rice All Over Again: Video Shows Akron Cop Quickly Shooting Black Teen Holding Fake Gun

In Washington, she invited various groups to the White House for tours and meetings, and she launched an effort to host events in every state that will continue under her replacement, Steven Benjamin, the former mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. The Route 66 Centennial Commission was established by Congress to study and recommend in a report to Congress activities that would be fitting and proper to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Mother Road of the United States, Route 66, in 2026. The Commission shall study activities that may be carried out by the Federal Government to honor Route 66, including potential ceremonies and celebrations, the production and publication of media or other materials, and the issuance of commemorative items.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to join White House as top aide

She is a descendent of two Choctaw Chiefs and her art exudes the spirit of her Native roots. Since childhood, Semple Umsted has been inspired by the themes and visual images of the Choctaw culture, which have become the inspiration of her artwork. Emphasis on vibrant color and dramatic design is one of the strongest and most dramatic elements of her work, and these qualities consistently permeate all aspects of the art she produces. Semple Umsted serves as the curator of the Semple Family Museum of Native American Art at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She retired from the Durant Public Schools where she was the art teacher for the Durant Middle School in 2007.

The Tragic Death Of Missing Mother Tomitka Jurnett-Stewart Must Finally Call Us To National Action

Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, she served as a Deputy Campaign Manager on the Biden-Harris presidential campaign. Before that, she was the National Political Director and traveling Chief of Staff for then-Senator Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. Before launching Senator Harris’ campaign, she served as California State Director in her Senate office. During the Obama-Biden Administration, Chavez Rodriguez served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Deputy Director of Public Engagement in the Office of Public Engagement. She also worked in the Department of the Interior as the Director of Youth Employment and as Deputy Press Secretary to former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to join Biden administration, White House official says

Recently, President Joe Biden announced details of a plan to create safer communities amid growing violence. It's what the White House is calling the "Safer America Plan." This proposal calls for $37 billion as part of the president's 2023 budget and outlines where and how the funding would be spent. Keisha Lance Bottoms, senior adviser to the president for public engagement and the former mayor of Atlanta, joined Newsy's "Morning Rush" to talk more about the plan.

Ex-Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appointed to Biden's Export Council - FOX 5 Atlanta

Ex-Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appointed to Biden's Export Council.

Posted: Mon, 17 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

News

Keisha Lance Bottoms may be leaving the White House soon, but top advisers are working to ensure the former Atlanta Mayor stays close to the president as he gears up his re-election campaign. The President announced that Stuart Delery will become the next Assistant to the President and White House Counsel. He will step into the role next month after Dana Remus departs the White House. Keisha Lance Bottoms is a CNN Political Commentator, based in Atlanta, Georgia, where she served as the 60th Mayor. She is a visionary leader in bringing equitable outcomes to the forefront of government and commerce.

Keisha Lance Bottoms announces departure from White House role

President Joe Biden announced Monday morning that former Columbia, South Carolina Mayor Stephen Benjamin will now serve as Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Public Engagement for the White House. Since leaving the mayor's office, Bottoms has worked as a political commentator for CNN, and been based in Atlanta. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is joining the Biden administration in a senior White House role. Bottoms left the mayor’s office in January 2022 and became a CNN commentator. In her new role, Bottoms will be in regular touch with a range of constituency groups at the local, state and national levels, bringing their feedback to the president. Her arrival at the White House comes as congressional Democrats face challenging midterm election prospects as they try to defend their slim majorities in the House and Senate amid rising gas prices and overall inflation.

Crystal Mason Update: Texas DA Moves To Reverse Black Woman’s Recently Overturned Voting Fraud Conviction

Bottoms said her plan upon arriving was to help engage people so that they understand what the White House is doing to improve their lives while also listening to their feedback to determine what could be done better, especially as the country entered a post-COVID-19 era. The president said Bottoms helped keep equity at the heart of his political agenda during her stint in his administration. The office, he added, served as the connective tissue between his office and everyday Americans who struggle to be heard in Washington. “Under Keisha’s leadership, the Office of Public Engagement has kept equity at the heart of our agenda and continues to serve as the connective tissue between our Administration and everyday Americans who may not have a voice to reach Washington otherwise. I have leaned on Keisha as a close advisor with exceptional instincts, and I am grateful to her for serving our nation with honor and integrity.

Friends, family gather for funeral for Atlanta music icon Rico Wade

The office helps ensure that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are hearing from a wide range of people when it comes to the various issues they are tackling. Both Georgia and South Carolina have become crucial to the Democratic Party ahead of the 2024 election cycle. South Carolina holds the Democrats’ first nominating contest, and Georgia helped solidify the Democrats’ Senate majority during the 2022 midterms and in 2020 gave Biden a rare win in a southern state that hasn’t backed a Democrat for president in 30 years.

Her administration navigated a cyberattack on the city's computer systems early in her tenure. She was among Mr. Biden's earliest endorsers, taking a risk early in a crowded Democratic primary campaign. She was later rewarded as one of the women he considered to be his running mate, though he eventually chose another Black woman, Kamala Harris, then a California senator who is now the first woman to hold the national office. An emotional Bottoms held a press conference on Friday explaining her decision. She said that she had written two potential letters to the people of Atlanta — one announcing that she would remain in the mayoral race, and one announcing that she would would not run for reelection. Bottoms released the open letter announcing her decision to withdraw on Thursday evening.

Serving as Mayor of Atlanta in the midst of a global pandemic and racial justice movement, Bottoms proved herself to be a highly respected leader and voice. During one of the worst economic downturns in history, Bottoms led her Administration in proactively dealing with the impact of the COVID-19, successfully delivering four years of balanced budgets without resorting to property tax increases, layoffs, or furloughs of City employees. At the same time, however, Bottoms was an early and ardent supporter of Biden when he was running for president in 2020. Bottoms backed Biden when many others doubted his chances in a crowded Democratic primary.

Biden taps yet another mayor to lead White House Office of Public Engagement - Washington Examiner

Biden taps yet another mayor to lead White House Office of Public Engagement.

Posted: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 07:17:08 GMT [source]

Asked about whether she could seek office again, perhaps in 2026 when the governor and other statewide jobs are on the ballot, Bottoms left her options open. “It’s time for me to get back home, get back to my family and focus on the future,” Bottoms said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. According to the White House, the position was supposed to be for just six months, but the White House asked her to extend the role through November. "Keisha is bright, honorable, tough and has the integrity required to represent our Administration to the American public," Biden continued in his statement. "Jill and I have known Keisha for a long time and look forward to working with her more closely."

"It is abundantly clear to me that it is time to pass the baton on to someone else." Bottoms is leaving the White House, she says, but not the president’s orbit. She expects to remain an insider and cheerleader as he contemplates a reelection campaign, but one who will no longer be obligated to make weekly trips to Washington that kept her away from her family in Atlanta. Trait Thompson has been the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Historical Society since 2021. Prior to that, he was the Project Manager for almost seven years on the $280 million comprehensive restoration of the Oklahoma State Capitol.

In a similar dual role, Bottoms is likely to have a direct line to both the president and vice president and could be considered one of the public faces of the administration. Bottoms joins at a challenging time for the White House, with Biden’s public approval rating at the lowest of his presidency while consumer prices and the cost of gasoline keeps rising, factors that are complicating Democrats’ chances of retaining control of Congress in the November midterm elections. The President announced additional promotions to his senior team ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Keisha took proactive measures to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the City and its agencies. As a result, during one of the worst economic downturns the world has ever faced, the Bottoms Administration delivered four years of balanced budgets, without resorting to property tax increases, layoffs or furloughs of City employees. At the conclusion of her term, the City’s reserves remained at a near high of $181M, far exceeding the requirements of the City Charter.

She drew plaudits for a nationally televised news conference in which she chided protesters to "go home" while noting her own experiences as a mother of Black sons to empathize with citizens distraught over police violence. She pledged to review Atlanta's police procedures in the wake of Floyd's killing. CBS Atlanta affiliate WGCL-TV spoke with political analyst Rashad Richey, who said crime rates in the city could have led to Bottoms' decision. He said to expect the flood gates to open for potential candidates, including City Council members Antonio Brown, Amir R. Farokhi and Andre Dickens. “I will always be supportive of the president, and I look forward to us figuring out what that looks like in this next season of life for me,” she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday. "I didn’t take a break, planning to work hard for 6 months and relax over the summer. @WhiteHouse called again in June and I said, "I’ll stay just thru midterms in November." Months later this extraordinary season soon ends. Thanks family and @POTUS."