Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Office of Public Engagement
The Office of Public Engagement (OPE) was a department within the Executive Office of the President focused on public outreach and communications. It was created by executive action in 1974 by President Gerald Ford (R). Originally called the Office of Public Liaison, President Barack Obama (D) renamed the office in 2009.[1][2]
President Donald Trump (R) did not select the Office of Public Engagement as a division of the Executive Office of the President during his second presidential term.
Mission
The Biden White House provided the following mission for the OPE:
| “ |
With a focus on making the White House inclusive and accessible to its citizens, the Office of Public Engagement is responsible for creating and coordinating direct dialogue between the Biden-Harris administration and the diverse American public. The Office of Public Engagement works at the local, state, and national levels to ensure community leaders, diverse perspectives, and new voices all have the opportunity to inform the work of the President. Creating and maintaining a two-way dialogue between the administration and communities across the nation ensures that voices are heard and that concerns can be translated into action across the administration. Through outreach, communication, public events, and official announcements from the administration and the various departments of the Executive Office of the President, the Office of Public Engagement removes obstacles and barriers and creates opportunities to improve public awareness and involvement in the work of the Biden-Harris administration..[3] |
” |
| —White House[1] | ||
Leadership
This table provides a list of directors of the Office of Public Engagement from 2001 to 2025.[2][4][5]
| Directors of the Office of Public Liaison/Office of Public Engagement, 2001-2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Director | Tenure | Administration |
| Jim Goyer | 2025-present |  Donald Trump
|
| Steve Benjamin | 2023-2025 |  Joe Biden
|
| Keisha Bottoms | 2022-2023 | Joe Biden
|
| Cedric Richmond | 2021-2022 | Joe Biden
|
| Timothy Pataki | 2019-2021 | Donald Trump
|
| Steve Munisteri | 2018-2019 | Donald Trump
|
| Justin Clark | 2018 | Donald Trump
|
| Johnny DeStefano | 2017-2018 | Donald Trump
|
| George Sifakis | 2017 | Donald Trump
|
| Valerie Jarrett | 2009-2017 | Barack Obama
|
| Julie Cram | 2007-2009 | George W. Bush
|
| Rhonda Keenum | 2005-2007 | George W. Bush
|
| Lezlee Westine | 2001-2005 | George W. Bush
|
Executive Office of the President
- See also: Executive Office of the President
The Executive Office of the President (EOP) is a group of federal entities responsible for advising and supporting the president's policy agenda and administration. The EOP's composition has changed over time as different presidential administrations have added, transferred, and removed entities from the office.
Under the second Trump administration, the EOP included the following 5 offices:
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Office of Public Engagement. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Donald Trump presidential administration, 2025
- Domestic Policy Council
- Council of Economic Advisers
- Executive Branch
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 White House, "Office of Public Engagement," accessed March 22, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 White House Transition Project, "The Office of Public Engagement During the Obama Years," accessed March 22, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ White House Transition Project, "Office of Public Liaison," accessed March 22, 2021
- ↑ White House Transition Project, "Assistants to the President at 18 Months: White House Turnover Among the Highest Ranking Staff and Positions," accessed March 22, 2021
