TRANSITION page  

Trump for America, Inc.


OVERVIEW: Gov. Chris Christie (+) chaired the transition effort from May to Nov. 2016.  On Nov. 11 President-elect Donald Trump replaced Christie, announcing Vice President-elect Mike Pence as transition chair along with six vice chairs and a 16-person executive committee.  On Nov. 29 the transition announced addition of seven vice chairs and five more people to the executive committee.  On Dec. 15 the transtion announced an additional nine members of the executive committee.  On Jan. 18 the transition announced that Keith Nahigian will assume the role of executive director as Rick Dearborn moves over to the White House.      

(page updated January 18, 2017) 



Chairman  Vice President-elect Mike Pence

(announced Nov. 11, 2016)

Vice Chairs:
Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Dr. Ben Carson
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin
Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, USA (Ret.)
Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
Incoming Deputy National Security Advisor Kathleen Troia "KT" McFarland 
Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY)
Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC)

Executive Committee:
Sheriff Butch Anderson


Congressman Lou Barletta (R-PA)

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi 


Safra Catz


Congressman Chris Collins (R-NY) 


Tom Dadey


Congressman Sean Duffy (R-WI)

Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-SC)

Jared Kushner

CEO of Kushner Properties from 2008.  Owner of New York Observer weekly newspaper, purchased in 2006.  J.D. and M.B.A. from New York University, 2007.  B.A. in sociology from Harvard College, 2003.  Son of real estate developer Charles Kushner; married Ivanka Trump in 2009.  See: Steven Bertoni.  "Exclusive Interview: How Jared Kushner Won Trump The White House."  Forbes.  Dec. 20, 2016 (online Nov. 22, 2016).

Nick Langworthy

Omarosa Manigault

Congressman Tom Marino (R-PA)


Mike McCormack


Rebekah Mercer

Runs the Mercer Family Foundation and serves on the boards of various conservative organizations.  Mercer was a key figure in the Make America Number 1 (Defeat Crooked Hillary) super PAC and, during the primary campaign, the pro-Cruz Keep the Promise I super PAC.  Daughter of Robert (Bob) Mercer, co-CEO of Renaissance Technologies, a hedge fund.  The Mercer family is a key invester in Cambridge Analytica, the data firm which was critical to Trump's win.  See: Matea Gold.  "The rise of GOP mega-donor Rebekah Mercer."  The Washington Post.  Sept. 14, 2016. and Kenneth P. Vogel. "The heiress quietly shaping Trump's operation."  Politico, Nov. 21, 2016.

Steven Mnuchin

Served as the campaign's national finance chairman, announced May 5, 2016.  Co-founder, chairman and CEO of Dune Capital Management LP, a private investment firm (hedge fund); also chairman of Dune Entertainment Partners LLC.   Co-founder (2004), chairman, and CEO of OneWest Bank Group LLC, a bank holding company, 2009-15.  CEO at SFM Capital Management, 2003-04.  Partner at Goldman Sachs, worked at the firm for 17 years to 2002 including as executive vice president (from 2001), commodities division (1998-99) and head of the mortgage securities department (1994-98).  B.A. from Yale University, 1985.  Mnuchin's father, The New York Times notes, retired at a general partner at Goldman, Sachs and owns C&M Arts.

Joe Mondello

Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA)


Congresswoman Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS)


Congressman Dennis Ross (R-FL)

Anthony Scaramucci

Served on Trump's economic policy council and finance committee.  Founder (2005) and a co-managing partner of investment firm SkyBridge Capital.  Author of The Little Book of Hedge Funds (2012), Goodbye Gordon Gekko and most recently Hopping over the Rabbit Hole: How Entrepreneurs Turn Failure into Success (Wiley, Oct. 31, 2016).  Co-founder (1996) of Oscar Capital Management.  Worked at Goldman Sachs from 1989-96.  J.D. from Harvard Law School; B.A. in economics from Tufts University.  Native of Long Island, NY.  twitter

Pastor Darrell Scott

Senior pastor and co-founder of New Spirit Revival Center Ministries Inc, launched in Feb. 1994 in Cleveland Heights, OH, and CEO of WCCD Radio1000 (the Scotts acquired the station in 2005).   twitter

Kiron Skinner

Associate professor of international relations and political science at Carnegie Mellon University and director of CMU's Center for International Relations and Politics; W. Glenn Campbell Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution.  MA and PhD degrees in political science and international relations from Harvard University; associate's degree in communications from Sacramento City College, 1979.  Co-author of Reagan, In His Own Hand (2001) and Reagan, A Life in Letters (2003).  kironmemo.com  twitter

John Sweeney

Peter Thiel

Entrepreneur and invester; also founder and chairman of Thiel Foundation.  Partner in Mithril Capital Management (2012).  Co-founder of Valar Ventures.  Partner in Founders Fund (2005).  Founder (2004) of Palantir Technologies.  Founder of Clarium Capital Management, a hedge fund.  Co-founder (1998) of PayPal, CEO to 2002.  Founder (1996) of Thiel Capital Management. Derivatives trader at Credit Suisse; speechwriter for former Sec. of Education William Bennett.  J.D. from Stanford University Law School, 1992; B.A. in philosophy from Stanford University, 1989. Author of Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future.

Donald Trump Jr.

Executive vice president of development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization.  B.S. in economics from University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School.  Eldest child of Donald and Ivana Trump (born Dec. 1977).  twitter

Eric Trump

Executive vice president of development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization.  Founder of the Eric Trump Foundation, supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  Third child of Donald and Ivana Trump (born Jan. 1984).  twitter

Ivanka Trump

Executive vice president of development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization; she also has a fashion line and has done modeling.  B.S. in economics from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania, 2004, after two years at Georgetown.  Second child of Donald and Ivana Trump (born Oct. 1981).  Author of The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life (2009) and forthcoming book Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success (March 2017).  www.ivankatrump.com  twitter

RNC Chairman and incoming White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus

Announced as White House chief of staff on Nov. 13, 2016.  Elected RNC chairman on Jan. 14, 2011; re-elected Jan. 25, 2013 and Jan. 16, 2015; previously served as RNC general counsel; announced July 31, 2009 to Dec. 5, 2010.  Chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party, first elected in May 2007.  Candidate for State Senate in 2004, losing to incumbent Bob Wirch (D) by 52% to 48%.  Partner at Best & Friedrich LLP; joined the firm in 1998.  J.D. from University of Miami School of Law, 1998.  Worked in the Wisconsin legislature before law school.  B.S. from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 1994.  Born and raised in Kenosha, WI.  twitter

Trump Campaign CEO and incoming Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor to the President, Stephen K. Bannon

Announced as Chief strategist and Senior Counsel to the President on Nov. 13, 2016.  Announced as Trump campaign CEO on Aug. 17, 2016.  On leave from position as executive chairman of Breitbart News Network. LLC.  Partner of Societe Gererale, a large talent management company.   Executive at Genius Products.  Executive at American Vantage Media Corp.  Worked for SG Cowan Securities Corporation, 1998-2000.  CEO of Bannon & Co. Inc., an investment banking firm specializing in entertainment, media and communications, April 1990-July 1998.  M.B.A. from Harvard University; M.A. in government from Georgetown University; undergraduate degree from Virginia. [source: Bloomberg]

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Senior Advisor to the Vice President-elect  Nick Ayers

Senior advisor to Pence during the campaign.  Partner at Target Enterprises from March 2011.  Campaign manager on Pawlenty for President, April-Aug. 2011.  Transition director at the RNC following the election of Reince Priebus as chairman in Jan. 2011.  Executive director of the Republican Governors Association in the 2008 and 2010 cycles (started in Jan. 2007).  Before joining the RGA, Ayers managed Gov. Sonny Perdue (GA)’s 2006 re-election campaign after serving as a senior aide to Perdue and working on Purdue's 2002 campaign.  Ayers started at Kennesaw State University, but left freshman year to join Purdue's 2002 campaign (he finished his degree in 2009).  Worked at Georgia State Bank.  From Cobb County (Mableton), GA. 

Senior Advisor to the Vice President-elect  Josh Pitcock

Served as policy director to Pence during the campaign.  Federal representative for the State of Indiana/Gov. Mike Pence in Washington, DC from 2013.  Chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, legislative counsel for U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, 2005-13; also deputy chief of staff and general counsel for the House Republican Conference, chairman Mike Pence, 2009-10.  Associate attorney at Parker, Hudson, Ranier & Dobbs, 2001-05.  J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law, 2001; bachelor's degree in political science and government from DePauw University, 1998.

Senior Advisor to the Vice President-elect Marc Short

Communications advisor to Pence on the campaign.  Briefly a senior advisor to Marco Rubio's presidential campaign (reported Feb. 2016).  President of Freedom Partners, the Koch Brothers' umbrella political network, to work on the campaign.  Chief of staff for the House Republican Conference, then chaired by U.S. Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN).  Chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX).  Executive director of the Reagan Ranch, and served as the executive director of Freedom Alliance from 1995-98.  Director of the Virginia finance committee for the Oliver North for U.S. Senate campaign.  Master’s degree from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia, 2004; undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee University, 1992.


Senior Advisor  Kellyanne Conway

Previously Trump campaign manager, announced Aug. 17, 2016; senior advisor to the campaign chairman/member of the national polling team on July 1, 2016.  President of The Polling Company/WomanTrend since 1995.  Most recently worked for the pro-Cruz super PACs as director of research and media outreach for Trusted Leadership PAC and president of Keep the Promise I.  Practiced law but describes herself as "a fully-recovered attorney."  J.D. from The George Washington University Law School; B.A. in political science from Trinity College in Washington, DC.  twitter



Executive Director Rick Dearborn

(announced Nov. 11, 2016)  Chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (AL) from Jan. 2005.  Assistant Secretary of Energy for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs.  Legislative director to Sen. Sessions for six and a half years starting in 1997.  Worked for Sen. Trent Lott (MS).  Director of congressional relations for the U.S. Senate for three years at the Heritage Foundation.  Deputy staff director to the Secretary of the Senate Republican Conference.  Worked at the NRSC for three years.  1987 graduate of the University of Oklahoma.

Deputy Executive Director  David Bossie

(reported Sept. 1, 2016, on leave from Citizens United)  President of Make America Number 1 ("Defeat Crooked Hillary PAC") from June 2016.  President of Citizens United and Citizens United Foundation; also president of Citizens United Productions, which has produced over two dozen documentaries; he has also authored four books.  Chief investigator for the U.S. House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, 1997-98.  twitter


Director of Agency Landing Teams  Reed Cordish

Principal and partner of The Cordish Companies, an international real estate development and entertainment company (from 1998); also president of Entertainment Consulting International (“ECI”), a national entertainment and restaurant operating company he co-founded (in 2004).  Tennis professional, 1996-98.  B.A. from Princeton University.

Agency Landing Teams


Special Advisor on Presidential Appointments  Chris Liddell

Executive director of Romney Readiness Project (R2P, Inc.), the Romney transition in 2012.  Vice chairman and CFO of General Motors, Jan. 2010-April 1, 2011.  Senior vice president and CFO of Microsoft, May 2005-Dec. 2009.  Senior vice president and CFO and earlier vice president of finance at International Paper Co., 2003-05.  CEO (1999-2002) and CFO (1995-98) of Carter Holt Harvey, a New Zealand forest products company.  Investment banker; worked at Credit Suisse in Boston for ten years.  Masters in Philosophy from Oxford; Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Auckland.  New Zealand native.


OPERATIONS

Special Advisor for Operations  Michael Glassner

Deputy campaign manager (promotion to deputy campaign manager announced March 2, 2016; initially served as political director, reported by various news outlets on July 30, 2015)  President of C&MT Transcontinental from April 2008; clients have included McCain-Palin 2008 and SarahPAC (hired as chief of staff to SarahPAC in Feb. 2011).  Southwest regional political director at AIPAC, Jan. 2014-July 2015.  Senior vice president for external affairs at IDT Corporation, July 2001-April 2008.  Chief of staff to the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, May 1998-July 2001.  Senior advisor to Sen. Bob Dole, Jan. 1986-Jan. 2001.  B.A. in political science from University of Kansas, 1985.  twitter

Special Advisor for Operations  Jeff DeWit

COO of the campaign, announced July 26, 2016; announced as the campaign's Arizona state chair on Jan. 20, 2016.  Elected Arizona state treasurer on Nov. 4, 2014.  Founder (1999) and CEO of ECHOtrade.  A market maker in financial futures contracts, DeWitt become one of Smith Barney’s youngest fully licensed investment professionals; he started his career in finance in 1992.  Degree in business administration and finance from University of Southern California; also earned an accounting degree.


COMMUNICATIONS

Communications Director  Jason Miller

Senior communications advisor on the campaign, announced June 28, 2016.  Leading communications and digital consultant on Cruz for President.  Partner and executive vice president at Jamestown Associates from Jan. 2010.  Executive at a communications firm.  Deputy director of communications in charge of rapid response and surrogate speakers on the Rudy Giuliani campaign from April 2007 to 2008.  Deputy chief of staff to South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.  Campaign manager for Sanford's 2006 re-election campaign; he came to the Sanford campaign after serving as campaign manager for Sen. George Allen's 2006 re-election campaign through late 2005.  In 2003-04 Miller was campaign manager for Jack Ryan's U.S. Senate campaign in Illinois, and after that effort ended he worked on Tom Coburn's U.S. Senate campaign in Oklahoma.  Campaign manager on Ric Keller's successful 2000 campaign for Congress in Florida's 8th CD, then served as chief of staff to the Florida Congressman.  Worked for Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA).  Graduate of The George Washington University.  Native of Seattle, Washington.  twitter

Deputy Communications Director  Jessica Ditto

Deputy communications director on the campaign, (announced Sept. 19, 2016).  Communications director to Gov. Matt Bevin (KY); started as communications director for the Bevin-Hampton campaign in Sept. 2015.  Director of education program operations for Connected Nation, a nonprofit based in Bowling Green.  Has worked for Gov. Ernie Fletcher (KY), the Republican Party of Kentucky, and U.S. Sen. James Inhofe (OK), 2008-09.  Graduate of Asbury University in Wilmore.  twitter

Deputy Communications Director  Byran Lanza

Served as deputy communications director for surrogates on the campaign.  Previously communications director at Citizens United.

National Press Secretary  Hope Hicks

National press secretary on the campaign.  Started at The Trump Organization in Aug. 2014.  Account rep. at Hiltzik Strategies.  Bachelor's degree in English from Southern Methodist University, 2010.  Native of Greenwich, CT. 

Director of Rapid Response  Steven Cheung

Director of rapid response on the campaign, announced July 11, 2016.  Director of communications and public affairs at Ultimate Fighting Championship from April 2013.  Communications advisor to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (TX), Sept. 2012-April 2013.  Director of rapid response on Dewhurst for Texas (U.S. Senate campaign), July 2011-Aug. 2012.  Director of rapid response on Sharron Angle for Senate, Aug.-Nov. 2010.  Director of online messaging on Steve Poizner for Governor, July 2009-June 2010.  Writer at Solgence Consulting, LLC, Jan.-July 2009.  Administrative assistant on John McCain 2008/McCain-Palin 2008, May-Dec. 2008.  Legislative and external affairs assistant for the California Integrated Waste Management Board, Aug. 2007-May 2008.  Studied government and computer science at Cal State Sacramento.  twitter

Senior Communications Advisor  Sean Spicer

Spicer worked closely with the campaign from the latter part of Aug. 2016; RNC chief strategist and communications director (announced as chief strategist Feb. 2, 2015; announced as communications director Feb. 24, 2011).  Co-founder and partner at Endeavor Global Strategies since Feb. 2009.  Assistant United States Trade Representative (USTR) for Media and Public Affairs, 2006-09.  Communications director for the House Republican Conference, 2005-06.  Communications director on the House Budget Committee, 2003-05.  Director of incumbent retention at the NRCC, 2001-02.  Communications director on the House Government Reform Committee, 2000-01.  Has worked for members of Congress from New Jersey and Florida and on several local and congressional political campaigns.  B.A. in government from Connecticut College, 1993.  Commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy (Reserves).  twitter

Senior Advisor  Katrina Pierson

National spokeswoman on the campaign, announced Nov. 9, 2015.  Spokesperson for the Tea Party Leadership Fund from Aug. 2014; owner of Pierson Consulting Group from June 2013; commentator/columnist.  Founder of the Garland Tea Party (TX).  Challenged U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (TX) in the Mar. 2014 Republican primary in CD-32.  Healthcare administrator for Baylor Health Care System, 2009-11.  Bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Texas at Dallas.  twitter

Senior Advisor  A.J. Delgado

Joined the campaign in Sept. 2016.  Conservative commentator and columnist.  Practiced law in New York City.  J.D. from Harvard Law School; B.A. in history from University of Florida.  Daughter of Cuban immigrants.  Auther of Hip To Be Square: Why It's Cool To Be A Conservative (2012).  twitter


DIGITAL

Director of Social Media  Daniel Scavino Jr.

Director of social media on the campaign, announced Feb. 11, 2016; started as a senior advisor.  "Longtime Trump confidant."  twitter (+)



POLICY

National Director of Policy  Stephen Miller

Policy director on the campaign (reported Jan. 25, 2016 as senior policy advisor by the Washington Post's Robert Costa)  Came to the campaign from position as communications director to U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (AL).  Graduate of Duke University, 2007.

Policy Implementation Executive Authority Advisor  Carlos Diaz-Rosillo

Lecturer of government at Harvard University for more than eight years.  Degrees in International Relations (B.A.) and Civil Engineering (B.S.C.E) from Tufts University and Public Policy (M.P.P.) and Government (A.M., PhD) from Harvard University.


ADVANCE

Advance Director  George Gigicos

Director of advance on the campaign.  Founder (Jan. 1999) and president of Telion Corp.  Lead advance rep./event consultant for the Romney campaign, May-Nov. 2012.  Media relations/community relations for Brunswick Group working on BP response in the Gulf Coast, May 2010-May 2011.  Lead advance rep. for the White House, June 2001-Jan. 2009.  Lead advance rep./consultant on McCain-Palin 2008.  Lead advance rep. at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, 2006-08.  Senior presidential advance rep. on Bush-Cheney '04, Aug. 2003-Jan. 2005.  Event manager for the Orange County Convention Center, 1996-99.  B.S. in business administration/marketing from Birmingham-Southern College, 1990.  twitter

Advance Lead  Aaron Chang
Director of advance on Huckabee for President, 2015-16.  Events manager at the Family Research Council, 2008-13.  Lead advance representative for the White House Office of Presidential Advance and for Bush-Cheney '04, 2003-09.  Manager of ballpark operations from the Washington Nationals, 2005-08.  Managing director of credentialing for the 55th PIC, 2004-05.  Deputy director of credentialing for U.S. Department of State - G8 Summit Planning, 2003-04.  COO of The Carmen Group, 2001-02.  M.A. in political management and B.A. in political science from The George Washington University.



COUNSEL

General Counsel  Donald F. McGahn

Announced as Assistant to the President and White House Counsel on Nov. 25; counsel on the campaign.  Partner at Jones Day from 2014.  Commissioner at the Federal Election Commission, 2008-13.  General counsel to the NRCC for nearly 10 years.  J.D. from Widener University, 1994; B.A. from University of Nortre Dame, 1991.




Note: Former CIA Director James Woolsey resigned as a senior advisor to Trump on Jan. 5, 2016. >





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