Office of Public Liaison


The Office of Public Liaison is a unit of the White House Office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. Under the administration of President Obama, it was called the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs. President Trump restored the prior name and created a separate Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

History

The Office of Public Liaison has been responsible for communicating and interacting with various interest groups. Under President Richard Nixon, Charles Colson performed public liaison work. President Gerald Ford first formalized the public liaison office after he took office in 1974, giving Nixon administration veteran William J. Baroody Jr. a mandate for OPL to become "an instrument for projecting the image of a truly open administration and to secure Ford's election in 1976. Under Baroody’s direction, the office incorporated outreach efforts with consumers and women that had been located elsewhere in the White House, and the overall staff grew to approximately thirty. At the core of its activities was an aggressive campaign of regional conferences that enabled the nation’s first un-elected president to tour the country in a campaign-like atmosphere and prepare the way for an eventual reelection campaign."
Some OPL heads used the office to push their own agendas. Midge Costanza used her time at OPL to broaden the influence of gays and lesbians in White House policy. Faith Ryan Whittlesey used her time at OPL to increase the influence of the religious right and anti-communist groups, such as the Contras in Central America.
Future cabinet secretary and U.S. senator Elizabeth Dole headed OPL under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1983. Directors during Bill Clinton's administration included future cabinet secretary Alexis Herman, Maria Echaveste, Minyon Moore and future John Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill.
In May 2009, Obama continued this theme and renamed the Office of Public Liaison the Office of Public Engagement. Under the Obama administration, the Office of Public Engagement had been referred to as "the front door to the White House, through which everyone can participate and inform the work of the President."
In April 2009, actor Kal Penn was named an associate director in the Office of Public Engagement. His role was said to include outreach to the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and the arts community. Prior to the appointment, he was a permanent cast member in the television series House, and his acceptance required him to be written out of the series.
President Donald Trump initially announced his intention to appoint Anthony Scaramucci to oversee the Office of Public Liaison in his administration, pending a review of Scaramucci's finances by the Office of Government Ethics. However, George Sifakis was appointed instead in March 2017. The current director of public liaison is Timothy A. Pataki, who was appointed February 2, 2019.

Key staff

The following have held the office of Director of Public Liaison at the White House:
OfficeholderTerm startTerm endPresident
Chuck ColsonJuly 9, 1970March 10, 1973Richard Nixon
William BaroodyMarch 10, 1973January 20, 1977Richard Nixon
William BaroodyMarch 10, 1973January 20, 1977Gerald Ford
Midge CostanzaJanuary 20, 1977September 1, 1978Jimmy Carter
Anne WexlerSeptember 1, 1978January 20, 1981Jimmy Carter
Elizabeth DoleJanuary 20, 1981February 7, 1983Ronald Reagan
Faith WhittleseyMarch 3, 1983March 19, 1985Ronald Reagan
Linda ChavezApril 8, 1985February 4, 1986Ronald Reagan
Mari MasengMay 12, 1986July 1987Ronald Reagan
Rebecca RangeSeptember 2, 1987January 20, 1989Ronald Reagan
Bobbie KilbergJanuary 20, 1989April 6, 1992George H. W. Bush
Cecile KremerApril 6, 1992January 20, 1993George H. W. Bush
Alexis HermanJanuary 20, 1993February 7, 1997Bill Clinton
Maria EchavesteFebruary 7, 1997June 29, 1998Bill Clinton
Minyon MooreJune 29, 1998February 5, 1999Bill Clinton
Mary Beth CahillFebruary 5, 1999January 20, 2001Bill Clinton
Lezlee WestineJanuary 20, 2001May 25, 2005George W. Bush
Rhonda KeenumMay 25, 2005March 20, 2007George W. Bush
Julie CramMarch 20, 2007January 20, 2009George W. Bush
Valerie JarrettJanuary 20, 2009January 20, 2017Barack Obama
George SifakisJanuary 20, 2017
Acting to March 6, 2017		September 25, 2017Donald Trump
Johnny DeStefanoSeptember 25, 2017
Acting to February 9, 2018		March 18, 2018Donald Trump
Justin ClarkMarch 18, 2018December 7, 2018Donald Trump
Steve Munisteri
Acting		December 7, 2018February 2, 2019Donald Trump
Timothy PatakiFebruary 2, 2019presentDonald Trump