Kate Bedingfield

American political advisor (born 1981)

Kate Bedingfield


White House Communications Director
In office January 20, 2021 – March 1, 2023
President	Joe Biden
Deputy	Kate Berner (Principal Deputy)
Preceded by	Dan Scavino (White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications)
Succeeded by	Ben LaBolt

Personal details
Born	Katherine Joan Bedingfield (1981-10-29) October 29, 1981 (age 42) Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	David Kieve (m. 2013)
Children	2
Education	University of Virginia (BA)

Katherine Joan Bedingfield^[1] (born October 29, 1981)^[2] is an American political advisor who served as the White House Communications Director in the Biden administration from 2021 to 2023. She previously served as deputy campaign manager for the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign and as communications director for Biden when he was vice president in the Obama administration.

Early life and education

Kate Bedingfield was born on October 29, 1981, and raised in Sandy Springs, Georgia.^[3] Her parents are Dana H. and Sid E. Bedingfield. Her father is a journalism professor and a former CNN executive. Her mother is a social media consultant.^[1] Bedingfield attended Sandy Springs Middle School and graduated from Riverwood High School.^[3] She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.^[1]

Career

Career in politics

Bedingfield worked on the John Edwards 2008 presidential campaign as spokesperson. She also served as communications director for the 2008 senate campaign for Jeanne Shaheen.^[3] In 2015, Bedingfield was named communications director for then Vice President Joe Biden. She also held two additional roles in the Obama administration: director of response, and deputy director of media affairs.^[4]

Bedingfield served as deputy campaign manager for the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign. Her work on the campaign led to Fortune naming Bedingfield one of the most influential people under the age of 40 in government and politics.^[2]

Biden administration

In November 2020, Bedingfield was designated White House Communications Director for the Biden administration.^[5] In late July 2022, Bedingfield reversed the decision announced weeks earlier to leave her position as White House Communications Director.^[6]

In February 2023, Bedingfield announced that she would leave the administration at the end of the month.^[7] Her position was filled by Ben LaBolt.^[7]

Private sector

In November 2011, Bedingfield started working at the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). In May 2013, Bedingfield was named spokesperson and vice president of corporate communications at the MPAA.^[3] After working in the Obama administration, Bedingfield returned briefly to sports and entertainment communications.^[4]

Personal life

Bedingfield married David Kelley Kieve on January 12, 2013, at St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.^[1] Bedingfield and Kieve have two children together.^[2] Kieve currently serves as the President of the Environmental Defense Action Fund.^[8]

External links

Kate Bedingfield's profile from the Biden-Harris transition website
Kate Bedingfield at IMDb
Appearances on C-SPAN
Bill Barrow (March 26, 2020) "Meet the masterminds behind Biden's surge: women operatives" from the Christian Science Monitor

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Katherine Bedingfield and David Kieve". The New York Times. January 13, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Kate Bedingfield | 2020 40 under 40 in Government and Politics". Fortune. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Bluestein, Greg (April 25, 2019). "Joe Biden hires Atlanta native as his new spokeswoman". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Who Joe Biden is picking to fill his White House and Cabinet". Washington Post. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
^ "Biden chooses an all-female senior White House press team". Midland Daily News. Associated Press. November 29, 2020. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
^ "White House Communications Director, Set to Depart, Decides to Stay". The New York Times. July 29, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Ben LaBolt to replace Kate Bedingfield as White House communications director". CBS News. February 10, 2023.
^ "David Kieve". Environmental Defense Action Fund. Retrieved February 13, 2023.

Government offices
Preceded by Dan Scavino as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications	White House Communications Director 2021–2023	Succeeded by Ben LaBolt

White House Communications Directors

Joe Biden's Executive Office of the President

Office	Name	Term	Office	Name	Term
White House Chief of Staff	Jeff Zients	2023–pres.	National Security Advisor	Jake Sullivan	2021–pres.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff	Jen O'Malley Dillon	2021–pres.	Deputy National Security Advisor	Jonathan Finer	2021–pres.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff	Bruce Reed	2021–pres.	Homeland Security Advisor	Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall	2021–pres.
Counselor to the President	Steve Ricchetti	2021–pres.	White House Communications Director	Ben LaBolt	2023–pres.
Deputy White House Communications Director	Pili Tobar	2021–pres.	Senior Advisor to the President	Mike Donilon	2021–pres.
	Kate Berner	2021–pres.		Anita Dunn	2021, 2022-pres.
White House Press Secretary	Karine Jean-Pierre	2022–pres.
Director, Public Engagement	Stephen K. Benjamin	2022–pres.	Deputy Press Secretary	Vacant	2022–pres.
			Director, Intergovernmental Affairs	Tom Perez	2023–pres.
Director, Speechwriting	Vinay Reddy	2021–pres.	Chair, Council of Economic Advisers	Jared Bernstein	2023–pres.
Director, Digital Strategy	Rob Flaherty	2021–pres.	Director, Domestic Policy Council	Neera Tanden	2023–pres.
Director, Legislative Affairs	Shuwanza Goff	2023–pres.	White House Cabinet Secretary	Evan Ryan	2021–pres.
Director, Presidential Personnel	Gautam Raghavan	2022–pres.	Director, Oval Office Operations	Annie Tomasini	2021–pres.
White House Staff Secretary	Stefanie Feldman	2023-pres.	Personal Aide to the President	Stephen Goepfert	2021–pres.
Director, Management and Administration	Dave Noble	2022–pres.	Chief of Staff to the First Lady	Vacant	2022–pres.
Director, Scheduling and Advance	Ryan Montoya	2021–pres.	Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy	Arati Prabhakar	2022–pres.
White House Social Secretary	Carlos Elizondo	2021–pres.	Director, Office of Management and Budget	Shalanda Young	2021–pres.
Chief of Staff to the Vice President	Lorraine Voles	2022–pres.	United States Trade Representative	Katherine Tai	2021–pres.
White House Chief Usher	Robert B. Downing	2021–pres.	Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy	Rahul Gupta	2021–pres.
Director, White House Military Office	Vacant	2022–pres.	Chair, Council on Environmental Quality	Brenda Mallory	2021–pres.