Office of the Vice President of the United States

The Office of the Vice President includes personnel who directly support or advise the vice president of the United States. The office is headed by the chief of staff to the vice president of the United States, currently Lorraine Voles. The office also provides staffing and support to the second gentleman of the United States. It is primarily housed in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (containing the vice president's ceremonial office), with offices for the vice president also in the West Wing, the U.S. Capitol, and in the vice president's official residence.

History

The vice president has three constitutional functions: to replace the president in the event of death, disability or resignation; to count the votes of electors for president and vice president and declare the winners before a joint session of Congress; and to preside over the Senate (with the role of breaking ties). According to Roger Sherman, a Connecticut congressional cabinet member and Founding Father, if the vice-president did not maintain the role of president of the Senate, then another member would have to occupy the neutral position and thus would make the Senate disproportionate. Vice presidents had few official duties in the executive branch, and were thus considered part of the legislative branch for purposes of salary. Salary for staff of the Office of the Vice President continues to be funded through both legislative and executive branch appropriations.

For the first century and half of its history, the vice president had no staff other than a secretary and a personal assistant or two. This began to change with the 1939 Reorganization Act, which included an "Office of the Vice President" (who at the time was John Nance Garner), under the Executive Office of the President.

Vice President Henry Wallace was given actual executive duties during World War II, as was Alben Barkley, who became a member of the National Security Council in 1949.

The Office of the Vice President has been located in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building since the 1950s. The room in the EEOB was redesigned and included emblems of the Navy Department, coinciding with the office's original purpose, the process was spearheaded by a Boston interior designer, William McPherson. The vice president individually has also been provided an office in the West Wing since 1977. Much of the Office of the Vice President centers around the offices once provided to the secretary of the Navy when the Eisenhower building was first constructed.

Current staff

Office of the Vice President

• Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President: Lorraine Voles
  • Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President: Erin Wilson
  • Assistant to the Chief of Staff: Yael Belkind
  • Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff: Emma Rook
  • Personal Aide to the Vice President: Opal Vadhan
• Deputy Assistant to the President and Counsel to the Vice President: Erica Songer
  • Deputy Counsel to the Vice President: Nasrina Bargzie
  • Associate Counsel to the Vice President (detail): Stacey Young
  • Senior Counsel to the Vice President: Brandon Rios
  • Legal Advisor to the Vice President: Mat Hernandez
• Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President: Philip Gordon
  • Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President: Rebecca Lissner
  • Executive Secretary and Special Advisor for Defense: James Martin
  • Special Advisor to the Vice President for National Security and Foreign Policy speechwriter: Dean Lieberman
  • Special Advisor to the Vice President for Southeast Asia and Oceania: Adam Farrar
  • Special Advisor to the Vice President for Africa: Cecily Brewer
  • Special Advisor for the Western Hemisphere: Heera Kamboj
  • Special Advisor to the Vice President for Europe and Russia: Robin Brooks
• Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the Vice President: Stephanie Young
  • Deputy Communications Director: Chris Evans
  • Press Secretary for the Vice President: Kirsten Allen
  • Deputy Press Secretary: Ernesto Apreza
  • Press Assistant: Jobie Crawford
  • Senior Advisor for Digital: Sarah Kendrick
  • Digital Content Producer/Videographer for the Vice President: Azza Cohen
  • Photographer to the Vice President: Lawrence Jackson
  • Director of Speechwriting: Steven Kelly
• Deputy Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President: Kristine Lucius
  • Policy Advisor to the Vice President: Dr. Ike Irby
  • Policy Advisor to the Vice President: Michael C. George
• Special Assistant to the President and Director of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Vice President: Megan Jones
  • Associate Director of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Vice President: Lillian Sanchez
  • Coordinator of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Vice President: Jacob Blas
• Deputy Director of Research: Tyler Lykins
• Director of Scheduling and Advance for the Vice President: Kelsey Smith
  • Deputy Director of Scheduling for the Vice President: Olivia Hartman
    • Assistant Scheduler to the Vice President: Thilee Yost
    • Assistant Scheduler to the Vice President: Danielle Campbell
  • Deputy Director of Advance for the Vice President: Juan Ortega
• Director of Legislative Affairs for the Vice President: Andy Flick
  • Senior Advisor for Legislative Affairs: Drew Spence
• Staff Secretary, Office of the Vice President: Oliver Mittelstaedt
  • Associate Director/ Staff Secretary, Office of the Vice President: Maria Restrepo
  • Associate Director/ Staff Secretary, Office of the Vice President: Saige Wenik
• Director of Management and Administration for the Office of the Vice President: Cynthia Bernstein
  • Deputy Director of Operations for the Vice President: Michael deForest
• Director of West Wing Operations to the Vice President: Shannon Myrics
• Social Secretary & Residence Manager to the Vice President: Storm Horncastle
  • Deputy Social Secretary: Amanda Trocola

Office of the Second Gentleman

• Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Second Gentleman: Jessica Killin
  • Director of Public Engagement and Policy to the Second Gentleman: Zaina Javaid
  • Deputy Director for Scheduling to the Second Gentleman: Elizabeth Ivey Purcell
• Deputy Assistant to the President and Communications Director to the Second Gentleman: Liza Acevedo
  • Communications Assistant, Office of the Second Gentleman: Darcy Palder
• Associate Director of Projects and Special Assistant to the Second Gentleman: Mitchell Rosenberg

See also

• Title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations

References

1. Vice President of the United States
2. List of vice presidents of the United States
3. Oath of office of the vice president of the United States
4. List of vice presidents of the United States by age
5. Vice President-elect of the United States
6. List of burial places of presidents and vice presidents of the United States
7. List of vice presidents of the United States by time in office
8. Executive Office of the President of the United States
9. Chief of Staff to the Vice President of the United States
10. Oath of office of the president of the United States
11. List of presidents of the United States by age
12. George Clinton (vice president)
13. Kamala Harris
14. Flag of the vice president of the United States
15. John Tyler
16. Seal of the vice president of the United States
17. Andrew Johnson
18. Charles Curtis
19. List of presidents of the United States who died in office
20. John Adams