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Ann O'Leary
Ann O'Leary is a Democratic political advisor in the state of California. O'Leary was the chief of staff for the gubernatorial administration of Gavin Newsom (D) from 2019 to 2020.[1] She resigned on December 21, 2020.[2]
Education
O'Leary earned a B.A. in critical social thought from Mount Holyoke College in 1993, an M.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 1997, and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2005.[3]
Career
Prior to becoming Newsom's chief of staff, O’Leary worked as Hillary Clinton’s senior policy advisor in the 2016 presidential campaign. She also worked as Clinton's legislative director while she was in the U.S. Senate. O'Leary also worked for former President Bill Clinton as a special assistant. In 2016, she became a partner for the law firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner in Palo Alto, California.[1]
Gavin Newsom chief of staff
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On November 9, 2018, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) selected O'Leary as his chief of staff. She resigned on December 21, 2020. Gov. Newsom appointed Jim DeBoo as her replacement.[2]
Chief of staff
- See also: Gubernatorial chiefs of staff
In 2019, Ballotpedia identified Ann O'Leary as a gubernatorial chief of staff. A chief of staff is the lead staff member of an administration and is responsible for implementing the governor's agenda.
The role is both a managerial and advisory position, although specific duties vary by each administration. The chief of staff typically has the following responsibilities, according to the National Governors Association (NGA):[4]
- Control access to the governor and manage the governor's calendar;
- Monitor the flow of information to the governor on policy issues;
- Oversee gubernatorial Cabinet and staff; and
- Manage and communicate the governor's policy agenda to the state legislature and the public.
In terms of policymaking, the NGA notes that a chief of staff is responsible for bringing policy and communications together: "The chief is responsible for overseeing the development of the governor’s policy agenda. The policy director or advisor is typically responsible for shaping the general concepts and specific details of the agenda with input from the communications director, policy staff, and cabinet members. The chief often must take charge and bring the pieces together coherently."[4]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Los Angeles Times, "Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom names former Clinton advisor his chief of staff," November 9, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Los Angeles Times, "Gov. Gavin Newsom’s chief of staff leaves as new top advisor joins his team," December 21, 2020
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Ann O'Leary," accessed February 28, 2019
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 National Governors Association, "The Many Roles of the Governor’s Chief of Staff," accessed April 20, 2021
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