Valencia, Stephanie

Stephanie Valencia is the former Special Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Director of Public Engagement overseeing critical engagement programs like Champions of Change and the Community Leaders Briefing Series. She served in the White House Office of Public Engagement since February 2009 where she originally handled outreach to the Latino community, immigration, and housing. She also worked on Puerto Rico issues. Prior to joining the Administration, Stephanie served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team and was Deputy Latino Vote Director on the Obama Campaign. Stephanie also served as Press Secretary to United States Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), serving as his spokeswoman and media advisor. Stephanie also worked in the House of Representatives as Special Assistant and Press Secretary to the Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Congressman John B. Larson from Connecticut. She also served as Press Secretary Congresswoman Linda Sanchez. Stephanie started her career as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow and is a graduate of Boston College. She was born and in raised in New Mexico and she and her husband and their two dogs reside in North Bethesda, Maryland.

Stephanie Valencia began working as Deputy Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker in October 2013. In her role at the Commerce Department, she handles external engagement and collaborates on strategic planning efforts that support the Secretary’s priorities. Prior to joining the Commerce Department, Stephanie served in the White House Office of Public Engagement for nearly five years, most recently as Special Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Director, where she oversaw critical engagement around some of the president’s top priorities, such as immigration. She started out in the office working on outreach to the Hispanic community and housing issues.

Prior to joining the Obama administration, Stephanie served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team and was the Deputy Latino Vote Director on the 2008 Obama campaign. Previously, Stephanie served for a number of lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), Special Assistant and Press Secretary to Congressman John Larson, and Press Secretary to Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-CA).

Stephanie started her career in the nation’s capital as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow for the U.S. Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, chaired by Senators Tom Dashcle (D-SD) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY).

A graduate of Boston College, Stephanie was born and raised in New Mexico. She and her husband Oscar reside in North Bethesda, Maryland with their two dogs, Dug and Lucy.

Stephanie Valencia is a national leader at the nexus of politics, technology and leadership development.

She is the co-founder of EquisLabs, an organization that invests in leaders and ideas that will create a more active, powerful Latinx electorate. She recently served as Political Director at InvestingIn.Us, a political venture capital fund focused on disruptive platforms and initiatives to enhance civic participation, and earlier ran Strategic Partnerships and Outreach at Google.

Stephanie is among a small group of advisers who served President Barack Obama in senior roles through his presidential campaign and both terms in office. She served as an aide to the president at the White House Office of Public Engagement; as Deputy Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker; and as Deputy Latino Vote Director on the 2008 campaign.

Prior to joining the campaign, Stephanie served in leadership roles for a number of lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including as Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), Press Secretary to Congressman John Larson (D-CT), Member Services for the House Democratic Caucus Chair, Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), and Press Secretary to Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-CA).

Building a leadership bench is a core passion for Stephanie. In addition to mentoring many young Latinos and Latinas, she is a co-founder of The Latino Talent Initiative, The Latina Collective, and Latinos44, the alumni association representing the hundreds of Hispanic appointees from the Obama Administration. Stephanie also serves on the boards of Civic Nation, Center for Community Change Action, and The Latino Victory Project.

She is co-author of West Wingers: Stories from the Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and Hope Creators Inside the Obama White House and is co-host of the podcast Finding 46, about the road to the White House in 2020.