Maura Sullivan, the top spokeswoman for the Department of Veterans Affairs, is moving to the Pentagon to be Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s chief communications adviser, Carter said Monday.
Sullivan, the VA’s assistant secretary of public and intergovernmental affairs, joins former Bloomberg TV chief Washington correspondent Peter Cook on Carter’s public affairs team in July. Cook was named Pentagon press secretary on Friday.
Sullivan replaces Brent Colburn, former communications director for President Obama’s re-election campaign, who was brought to the Pentagon by former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
Since taking over in February, Carter has slowly put his stamp on the Pentagon’s press operation — too slowly for some reporters, who have complained about the lack of access to information.
The press secretary position has been vacant for months. Shortly after taking office, Carter removed then-Rear Adm. John Kirby, saying he preferred a civilian in the role. Kirby, who has since retired, moved to the State Department.
Sullivan is a former Marine Corps captain and Iraq war veteran who worked for PepsiCo before joining the VA .
“Her life of service and leadership, both in an and out of uniform, make her uniquely qualified to run the Pentagon’s public affairs team during this crucial time for the nation and the department,” Carter said. “Her understanding of both operational and management issues will be crucial as we seek to tackle the full range of challenges facing the department today from securing a lasting defeat of ISIL to establishing the military’s Force of the Future.”
