Kenny Thompson

This episode features Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, who has seen how government functions from all angles – as an advocate, a staffer, and now as an elected official. She has worked in the labor movement, as a staffer for Gov. Pritzker, and as Chief of Staff of the Office of Management and Budget in the Biden White House. In 2022, she saw a new opportunity to support her community – and ran to represent the 13th District of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now, she is applying all she’s learned from those experiences and many more as a freshman Member of Congress.

Sandra Douglass Morgan is a trailblazer through and through. On today’s episode, she talks about the many roles she’s held – from Chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board to President of the Las Vegas Raiders and everything in between.

This episode's guest is Josh Earnest, one of the few staffers to go the distance from early on the Obama campaign through both terms in the White House. Josh worked in politics and government from Florida to Iowa to New York City to Washington – and has applied lessons learned there to his job at White House Press Secretary and today, as EVP of Communications and Advertising for United. Learn all about his extraordinary pathway, his take on what makes a great staffer, and more.

A series of conversations in memory of Dan Turton, a former White House and House of Representatives staffer who died too young, made a lasting difference, and touched many lives.

As a little girl, Jocelyn Frye wanted to be a lawyer. That she did – and so much more. Today, Jocelyn leads the National Partnership for Women and Families. On this episode, she shares insights about her journey from attorney to advocate to White House staffer, and back to advocate. Along the way, she describes what it was like to work so closely with the First Lady Michelle Obama, how she views the ongoing work for justice and equality, and so much more.

President Biden’s first two years in office resulted in several landmark laws: the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS & Science Act, and more. During that time, this episode's guest, Louisa Terrell, served as Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. In this episode, hear Louisa discuss her journey to the West Wing and how she helped the President achieve historic wins under incredibly challenging circumstances.Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Mike Harney knows the federal government like few others. Prior to his position as Senior Vice President and Head of Public Affairs at Clear, he held a range of impressive positions as a staffer. Hear about the joys and challenges of each position on this episode of STAFFER.Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

On this episode of STAFFER, Steve Haro dives into his experiences throughout his over two decades in government and politics. He has served as Chief of Staff to two senators, worked in the U.S. Department of Commerce during the Obama Administration, and now works at TelevisaUnivision. He talks about what makes a good staffer, how he finds the private sector after life in government, and more.Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Patrice Willoughby started her career in the office of the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, where she learned to lead with grace and so much more. Learn more about her experiences in Congress, the Executive Branch, the private sector, and now at the NAACP. All that and more on this episode of STAFFER.

In this episode, Greg Butler, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Eversource Energy, talks about his time as a staffer in the NYS Assembly and U.S. Department of Justice, and what lessons he’s taken with him in the decades since then.  Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram