Josh Earnest

Josh Earnest
29th White House Press Secretary
Incumbent
Assumed office June 20, 2014
President	Barack Obama
Deputy	Eric Schultz
Preceded by	Jay Carney
Personal details
Born	Joshua Ryan Henry Earnest (1975-01-22) January 22, 1975 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Natalie Wyeth (2012–present)
Alma mater	Rice University (BA)

Josh Earnest,^[1] (born January 22, 1975)^[2] born Joshua Ryan Henry Earnest, is the current White House Press Secretary.

On May 30, 2014, President Obama announced that Josh Earnest would replace Jay Carney as the White House Press Secretary.^[3]

Early years

Earnest was born in Kansas City, Missouri to Jeanne M. Earnest, a psychologist, and Donald H. Earnest, an athletic director. He attended The Barstow School, a private secondary school, on a scholarship. He played baseball and basketball.^[4]

He graduated from Rice University in 1997 with a degree in Political Science and Policy Studies.^[5]

Career

Immediately following college, he worked in the 1997 Houston Mayoral Election for Lee Brown.^[6] Earnest served as a congressional aide to U.S. Congressman Marion Berry from 2002-03 after working on Michael Bloomberg's first campaign for mayor of New York City.^[7]

After working on Capitol Hill, Earnest worked for the Democratic National Committee from 2003-06 under both Terry McAuliffe and Howard Dean.^[8] Earnest was Communications Director on Jim Davis' campaign for Governor of Florida in 2006. He moved to Iowa in December 2006 to serve as National Communications Director for then-Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack's presidential campaign.^[9]

He then joined then Senator Obama's presidential campaign in March 2007 as Obama's Iowa Communications Director. After Obama's Iowa caucus victory, Earnest worked as a top communications aide in several primary contests including South Carolina, Texas and Pennsylvania. During the 2008 general election, Earnest served as the campaign's Deputy Communication Director.^[10] After Obama was elected President, Earnest moved to Washington, D.C. and served as the Communications Director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee.^[11]

Earnest started at the White House on President Obama's first full day in office, January 21, 2009, as Deputy Press Secretary under Robert Gibbs. Later, Earnest was promoted and served as Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary and Chief of Staff to Jay Carney, occasionally filling in during press briefings. Earnest is the voice of West Wing Week, an online video series produced by the White House that chronicles the President's activities each week.^[12]

In an annual survey conducted by the Politico Magazine in April 2015, he was voted the most helpful press official in the Obama administration and the best White House press secretary by nearly 70 journalists.^[13]

Personal life

Earnest is married to Natalie Wyeth, a great-granddaughter of the late illustrator N. C. Wyeth, and a former veteran Treasury Department official.^[1] They have a son.^[14]

References

External links

• Official website

Obama Administration personnel
Cabinet and cabinet-level Office Name Term Office Name Term Secretary of State John Kerry 2013– Secretary of Treasury Jack Lew 2013– Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter 2015– Attorney General Loretta Lynch 2015– Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell 2013– Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack 2009– Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker 2013– Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez 2013– Secretary of Health and   Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell 2014– Secretary of Education Secretary of Transportation Arne Duncan Anthony Foxx 2009– 2013– Secretary of Housing and Urban   Development Julian Castro 2014– Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald 2014– Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz 2013– Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson 2013– Vice President Joe Biden 2009– White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough 2013– Director of the Office of Management and   Budget Shaun Donovan 2014– Administrator of the Environmental   Protection Agency Gina McCarthy 2013– Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power 2013– Chair of the Council of Economic   Advisers Jason Furman 2013– Trade Representative Michael Froman 2013– Administrator of the Small Business Administration Maria Contreras-Sweet 2014– Below solid line: Granted Cabinet rank although not automatically part of the Cabinet. See also: Confirmations of Barack Obama's Cabinet
Executive Office of the President Office Name Term Office Name Term White House Chief of Staff White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Rahm Emanuel Pete Rouse William M. Daley Jack Lew Denis McDonough Mona Sutphen Nancy-Ann DeParle Rob Nabors 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013– 2009–11 2011–13 2013–15 National Security Advisor Deputy National Security Advisor Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan Jim Jones Thomas E. Donilon Susan Rice Thomas E. Donilon Denis McDonough Tony Blinken Avril Haines Douglas Lute† 2009–10 2010–13 2013– 2009–10 2010–13 2013–14 2015– 2009–13 White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Jim Messina Alyssa Mastromonaco Anita Decker Breckenridge 2009–11 2011–14 2014– Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security Ben Rhodes John O. Brennan Lisa Monaco 2009– 2009–13 2013– White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning Mark B. Childress Kristie Canegallo 2012–14 2014– Deputy National Security Advisor and NSC Chief of Staff Denis McDonough Brooke Anderson 2009–10 2011–12 Senior Advisor to the President David Axelrod David Plouffe Daniel Pfeiffer Shailagh Murray 2009–11 2011–13 2013–15 2015– White House Communications Director Anita Dunn Daniel Pfeiffer Jennifer Palmieri Jen Psaki 2009 2009–13 2013–15 2015– Senior Advisor to the President Counselor to the President Pete Rouse Brian Deese Pete Rouse John Podesta 2009–10 2015– 2011–13 2014–15 Deputy White House Communications Director Jen Psaki Jennifer Palmieri Amy Brundage 2009–11 2011–14 2014–15 Senior Advisor to the President and Assistant to the President for Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs Director of Public Engagement Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Director, National Economic Council Valerie Jarrett Christina Tchen Jon Carson Paulette Aniskoff Cecilia Muñoz David Agnew Jerry Abramson Lawrence Summers Gene Sperling Jeffrey Zients 2009– 2009–11 2011–13 2013– 2009–12 2012–14 2014– 2009–10 2011–14 2014– White House Press Secretary Deputy Press Secretary Director of Special Projects Director of Speechwriting White House Counsel Robert Gibbs Jay Carney Josh Earnest Bill Burton Josh Earnest Eric Schultz Stephanie Cutter Jon Favreau Cody Keenan Greg Craig Robert Bauer Kathryn Ruemmler Neil Eggleston 2009–11 2011–13 2013– 2009–11 2011–13 2014– 2010–11 2009–13 2013– 2009–10 2010–11 2011–14 2014– Deputy Director, National Economic Council Deputy Director, National Economic Council Chair of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board Diana Farrell Brian Deese Jason Furman Paul Volcker 2009–11 2011–13 2009–13 2009–11 Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Phil Schiliro Rob Nabors Miguel Rodriguez Katie Beirne Fallon Amy Rosenbaum 2009–11 2011–13 2013–2016 2016– Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors Christina Romer Austan Goolsbee Jason Furman 2009–10 2010–13 2013– Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Lisa Konwinski Amy Rosenbaum 2009– 2014–2016 Member of the Council of Economic Advisors Katharine Abraham 2011– Executive Clerk George T. Saunders† David Kalbaugh 2009–12 2012– Member of the Council of Economic Advisors Cecilia Rouse 2009– Director, Office of Political Affairs Patrick Gaspard David Simas 2009–11 2013– Director, Office of Management and Budget Peter R. Orszag Jack Lew Jeffrey Zients Sylvia Mathews Burwell Brian Deese Shaun Donovan 2009–10 2010–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014 2014– Chief Technology Officer Chief Information Officer Aneesh Chopra Todd Park Megan Smith Vivek Kundra Steven VanRoekel Tony Scott 2009–12 2012–14 2014– 2009–11 2011–14 2015– Chief Performance Officer and Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget Jeffrey Zients 2009–13 Director, Office of Presidential Personnel Nancy Hogan Johnathan McBride Valerie Green 2010–14 2014–15 2015– Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget Jeffrey Liebman Heather Higginbottom Brian Deese 2010 2011–13 2013–15 Director of Scheduling and Advance Director, White House Military Office Alyssa Mastromonaco Danielle White Crutchfield George D. Mulligan Jr. Emmett Beliveau 2009–11 2011– 2009–13 2013– United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk Michael Froman 2009–13 2013– Cabinet Secretary Chris Lu Broderick Johnson 2009–13 2013– Director, Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes Cecilia Muñoz 2009–12 2012– Deputy Cabinet Secretary Liz Sears Smith Rachana Bhowmik Michael Robertson Gaurab Bansal 2009–11 2011–13 2013–15 2015– Deputy Director, Domestic Policy Council Heather Higginbottom Mark Zuckerman 2009–11 2011– Staff Secretary Lisa Brown Rajesh De Douglas Kramer Joani Walsh 2009–11 2011–12 2012–13 2014– Director, Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Joshua DuBois Melissa Rogers 2009–2013 2013– Assistant to the President for Management and Administration Bradley Kiley Katy Kale Maju Varghese 2009–13 2013–15 2015– Director, Office of Health Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle 2009–11 Director, Oval Office Operations Micaela Fernandez Brian Mosteller 2009–12 2012– Deputy Director, Office of Health Reform Jeanne Lambrew 2009–2011 Personal Aide to the President Reggie Love Marvin Nicholson 2009–11 2011– Director, Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner 2009–11 Personal Secretary to the President Katie Johnson Anita Decker Breckenridge Ferial Govashiri 2009–11 2011–14 2014– Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Heather Zichal Dan Utech 2009–2013 2013– Special Projects Coordinator and Confidential Assistant to the President Eugene Kang 2009–11 Director, Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley Michael Boots 2009–2014 2014– Director, Office of National AIDS Policy Jeffrey Crowley Grant Cofax Douglas Brooks 2009–2011 2012–2014 2014– Chief of Staff to the First Lady   Jackie Norris Susan Sher Christina Tchen 2009 2009–10 2011– Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske Michael Botticelli 2009–14 2014– White House Social Secretary Desirée Rogers Julianna Smoot Jeremy Bernard Deesha Dyer 2009–10 2010–11 2011–15 2015– Director, Office of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrión Jr. Racquel Russell 2009–2010 2010– Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy John Holdren 2009– *Senate-confirmation pending.   †Remained from previous administration(s).
Office of the Vice President Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Vice President Steve Ricchetti Counsel to the Vice President Cynthia Hogan Counselor to the Vice President Mike Donilon Assistant to the Vice President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison Evan Ryan Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Communications Shailagh Murray Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President Shailagh Murray Deputy National Security Adviser to the Vice President Brian McKeon Residence Manager and Social Secretary for the Vice President and Second Lady Carlos Elizondo National Security Adviser to the Vice President Colin Kahl Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Second Lady Catherine M. Russell Director of Administration for the Office of the Vice President Moises Vela Domestic Policy Adviser to the Vice President Terrell McSweeny Chief Economist and Economic Policy Adviser to the Vice President Jared Bernstein Press Secretary to the Vice President Elizabeth Alexander Deputy Press Secretary to the Vice President Annie Tomasini Director of Legislative Affairs Sudafi Henry Director of Communications for the Second Lady Courtney O’Donnell

White House Press Secretaries
Akerson Joslin Early Daniels Ross Early Short Tubby Hagerty Salinger Reedy Moyers Christian Ziegler terHorst Nessen Powell Brady Speakes (acting) Fitzwater Myers McCurry Lockhart Siewert Fleischer McClellan Snow Perino Gibbs Carney Earnest