Statement on the Appointment of Stephen K. Benjamin and Resignation of Keisha Lance Bottoms as Senior Adviser and Director of the Office of Public Engagement

Mayor Benjamin is a longtime public servant, who has served the people of South Carolina for over two decades statewide and as a three-term mayor of Columbia. As a former president of both the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the African American Mayors Association, Steve's deep relationships with communities across the country will serve our administration and the American public well.

As mayor of Columbia, Steve focused on the economic development of Main Street, job creation and maintaining a just, diverse, and trusted law enforcement department. He understands what Americans across the country expect and deserve from their government.

Under Keisha's leadership, the Office of Public Engagement has kept equity at the heart of our agenda, and continues to serve as the connective tissue between our administration and everyday Americans who may not have a voice to reach Washington otherwise. I have leaned on Keisha as a close advisor with exceptional instincts, and I am grateful to her for serving our Nation with honor and integrity. I wish her the best as she returns home to Atlanta to be with her family.