Jen Psaki

Jennifer Rene "Jen" Psaki (pronounced /sɑːkiː/; born December 1, 1978) is the current White House Communications Director. She previously served as a spokesperson for the United States Department of State, and has served in various press and communications roles in the Obama White House.

Early life

Psaki, of Greek and Polish ancestry, was born in Stamford, Connecticut. She graduated from Greenwich High School in 1996 and the College of William & Mary in 2000. She is a member of the Chi Omega sorority. At William & Mary, Psaki was a backstroke swimmer for the William & Mary Tribe athletic team for two years.

Career

Psaki began her career in 2001 with the re-election campaigns of Iowa Democrats Tom Harkin and Tom Vilsack. Psaki then became deputy press secretary for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign. From 2005 to 2006, Psaki served as communications director to U.S. Representative Joseph Crowley and regional press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Throughout the 2008 presidential campaign of U.S. Senator Barack Obama, Psaki served as traveling press secretary. After Obama won the election, Psaki followed Obama to the White House as Deputy Press Secretary and was promoted to Deputy Communications Director on December 19, 2009. On September 22, 2011, Psaki left this position to become senior vice president and managing director at the Washington, D.C. office of public relations firm Global Strategy Group.