Vice President Kamala Harris has lost another top spokesperson as part of a broader White House communications shop reshuffle after the departure of former press secretary Jen Psaki.
Herbie Ziskend, a senior communications adviser to Harris, is leaving the vice president’s office for the West Wing, where he will be the new White House deputy communications director. Kate Berner, who is currently in the role, will be promoted to principal deputy communications director. Ziskend is among the few remaining Harris communications staffers who joined her team at the start of President Joe Biden‘s administration.
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Ziskend’s appointment coincides with the tapping of Olivia Dalton, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations’s former communications director, as principal White House deputy press secretary. The post, once held by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, has been vacant since Jean-Pierre replaced Psaki behind the podium.
Dalton, whose relationship with Biden dates back to when he was one of Delaware’s senators, will occasionally be called on to brief the press in her new, more public-facing position.
“Olivia is a seasoned communications strategist with experience at the highest levels of government, national campaigns, and leading nonprofits,” Jean-Pierre told the Washington Post in a statement. “She is smart, savvy, and a true pro. She will be a tremendous addition to the press team and true asset for the entire Biden-Harris administration.”
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“Kate and Herbie are longtime pillars of the Biden-Harris communications operation through the campaign, the convention, the transition, and now the administration,” White House communications director Kate Bedingfield added. “They bring insight, passion, and great judgment to their work, and we are excited that they will continue to be critical leaders on this team as we continue to make progress for the American people.”
