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Ann O'Leary, California Governor Gavin Newsom's Chief of Staff, joined the podcast to offer first-person perspective on the state's response to COVID-19 and the economic drawbacks of the pandemic.

Voices of Resilience: A Conversation with Ann O’Leary

July 2020 – Ann O’Leary is hard at work as the Chief of Staff for California Governor Gavin Newsom – helping guide the state’s economic recovery throughout COVID and keeping Californians as safe and productive as possible.
Previously, she worked for the Clinton Administration as a senior policy analyst, as legislative director to former Senator Hillary Clinton and as a key advisor on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. She also founded several non-profit organizations related to income inequality, healthcare, education, and workforce development.

Ann joined Vital Voices President and CEO Alyse Nelson on the Voices of Resilience Podcast to share more on her experience as Chief of Staff for Governor Newsom, and how California’s early action helped prevent the spread of Covid-19. Ann elaborated on the collaborative approach that has been deployed to help save California’s economy, and added her perspective on the pivotal moments that have impacted Governor Newsom’s Administration. She talked about their immediate actions regarding the Black Lives Matter movement and the troubling racial inequities laid bare by Covid-19. Ann discussed what she learned in her time working for Hillary Clinton, and offered her thoughts on the importance of intellectual curiosity in effective leaders.

Listen to her episode here: