Press Release - The Office of the First Lady Announces New Press Secretary

September 08, 2022

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Office of the First Lady announced that Vanessa Valdivia will be joining its communications team as a Special Assistant to the President and the First Lady's Press Secretary.

Valdivia has over a decade of political and communications experience, serving in key roles on Capitol Hill, as well as presidential and U.S. Senate campaigns. She comes to the First Lady's team most recently from U.S. Senator Alex Padilla's office, where she has served as his Communications Director since he was sworn into office. Prior to that, Valdivia served as Communications Director for U.S. Senator Gary Peters' successful 2020 re-election campaign. During the 2020 Democratic Primary, she was the Nevada Deputy State Director and Deputy National Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Cory Booker's presidential campaign. In the Senate, she also worked as Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich and led the communications team for his 2018 re-election. She worked for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, helping win the Nevada caucus as an organizer during the primary, and leading Latino outreach in Colorado in the general election. A California native, Valdivia is the daughter of Mexican-Nicaraguan immigrants. She earned her master's degree at the University of Southern California and undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

"Vanessa's combination of strategic communications skills, expertise, and experience, as well as her commitment to public service, will make her a tremendous addition to our team," said Elizabeth Alexander, Communications Director for the First Lady. "We look forward to welcoming her in the coming weeks."

Jill Biden, Press Release - The Office of the First Lady Announces New Press Secretary Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/357661

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