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Nancy McFadden
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| Nancy McFadden | |||
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| Basic facts | |||
| Role: | Former executive secretary | ||
| Location: | Sacramento, Calif. | ||
| Affiliation: | Democrat | ||
| Education: | •San Jose State University •University of Virginia Law School | ||
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Nancy McFadden was a Democratic political advisor working in the state of California. She was the executive secretary, a role comparable to chief of staff, for Gov. Jerry Brown (D), from January 2011 to March 2018. McFadden passed away on March 22, 2018, following a battle with ovarian cancer.[1][2]
Career
Early career
After receiving a bachelor's degree in political science from San Jose State University in 1984, McFadden went on to attend law school at the University of Virginia. She began her professional career as a private attorney at O’Melveny and Myers before getting into politics.[3]
Bill Clinton administration
On January 1, 1992, McFadden joined the presidential campaign of Bill Clinton (D) as deputy political director.[4] During Clinton's administration, McFadden served in three separate roles for eight years. From 1993 to 1996, she was the deputy associate attorney general. In 1994, Al Kamen of The Washington Post named her one of the key insiders in the Clinton administration, writing:[5]
| “ | People at other departments see McFadden as someone to go to when the official channels are moving slowly or don't seem to be working at all. She is the one at Justice 'who keeps the ball in play,' says one lobbyist who deals often with the department. 'Whether it's policy or strategy, she's touching all the bases. She'll refer issues to the appropriate people, but to make sure things get done over there, you touch base with Nancy McFadden.'[6] | ” |
She then served as the general counsel for the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1996 to 2000, and her final appointment in the administration was as deputy chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore (D).[7]
Private sector
After spending time as an advisor to former Gov. Gray Davis (D-Calif.) from 2003 to 2005, McFadden became the senior vice president of Pacific Gas and Electric. She served in this role until 2010. According to Capitol Weekly, McFadden was the company's top strategist and was a dissenting voice in the company's campaign sponsoring California Proposition 16 in 2010.[8]
Jerry Brown executive secretary
In January 2011, Brown named McFadden his executive secretary for legislation, appointments, and policy, a position that is comparable to chief of staff in other gubernatorial administrations.[1] She passed away on March 22, 2018, following a battle with ovarian cancer.[2]
In 2014, Capitol Weekly named McFadden third in its top 100 list of California influencers. The article explained McFadden's influence in California, stating, "Nancy McFadden ... is the administrative leader of the 'Horseshoe' – the governor’s hermetically sealed inner sanctum – who stands at the intersection of policy and politics. God only knows what the Horseshoe’s flow chart looks like, but this much is clear: Nothing much happens unless McFadden, a lawyer, signs off on it."[8]
The Los Angeles Times described McFadden's role as being Brown's "chief liaison to the Legislature and anyone else seeking Brown's ear." McFadden described her job to the paper as working "to scan the landscape, try to figure out what the priorities are for what the governor wants to do and what he must do and keep things moving and make things happen."[4]
Chief of staff
- See also: Gubernatorial chiefs of staff
In 2017, Ballotpedia identified Nancy McFadden 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 administration. The chief of staff typically has the following responsibilities, according to the National Governors Association (NGA):[9]
- 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."[9]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Nancy McFadden'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Office of Gov. Jerry Brown, "Governor Brown Announces Appointments," January 5, 2011
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Sacramento Bee, "Nancy McFadden, Jerry Brown's chief of staff, dies," March 23, 2018
- ↑ The California State University, "Nancy McFadden," accessed September 12, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Los Angeles Times, "Indispensable insider looks out for Gov. Jerry Brown's interests," March 29, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Who You Gonna Call?" January 23, 1994
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Aviation Week, "Nancy McFadden Joins Al Gore's Office As Deputy Chief Of Staff," July 19, 2000
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Capitol Weekly, "Capitol Weekly’s Top 100 List," August 19, 2014
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 National Governors Association, "The Many Roles of the Governor’s Chief of Staff," accessed April 20, 2021
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