Gavin Newsom taps Dee Dee Myers to oversee California’s economic recovery
Facing an economy ravaged by coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced he is bringing on Dee Dee Myers to serve as senior advisor and director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as GO-Biz, a cabinet-level position.
“California is the world’s fifth-largest economy and the gateway to the rest of the world,” Newsom said in a statement. “While the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted our economy, California will bounce back thanks to our incredible assets and our spirit of innovation. An economic recovery that lifts all Californians will require us to work together. With more than three decades of experience in both the public and private sectors – in California and nationally – Dee Dee brings an ability to work across sectors, ensuring that our recovery is built upon common ground and common solutions.”
Myers, 59, takes over the job left open by Lenny Mendoca, who resigned from his post as the governor’s chief economic and business advisor in April. In a piece for CalMatters, Mendoca detailed his struggles with anxiety and depression leading up to the departure.
Newsom’s office said Myers joined the administration as a volunteer in May to support the governor’s task force on business and jobs recovery. Most recently, she worked for the mass media and entertainment conglomerate Warner Bros as executive vice president of worldwide corporate communications and public affairs. Prior to that, she was a managing director of the Glover Park Group, where she counseled corporate and non-profit clients on strategic and crisis communications, reputation management and strategic positioning.
Myers earns a $200,000 salary for her cabinet-level position, and will continue to hold her spot as a director of Wynn Resorts, Ltd., a Nevada-based developer of high-end hotels and casinos.
Her career has spanned the public and private sectors, and at one point, she was the inspiration for an iconic television character.
Myers got her start working on a number of local and state campaigns. She served as press secretary for Sen. Dianne Feinstein in her 1990 bid for governor, and then went on to work on the presidential campaigns of Gov. Michael Dukakis and Vice President Walter Mondale. Myers also worked on the staffs of Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and California State Sen. Art Torres
She made history as the first woman to serve as White House press secretary during President Bill Clinton’s first term. Myers is said to have been part of the inspiration for the character of CJ Cregg, the sharp-witted White House press secretary portrayed in The West Wing. After leaving the Clinton administration, Myers went on to serve as a consultant for the show.
She has worked as a contributor to Vanity Fair, and is author of the New York Times best-selling book. “Why Women Should Rule the World.” She also co-hosted a CNBC political talk show called “Equal Time.”
Myers’ role will be key as Newsom looks to move out of the pandemic and into recovery. Although recent analysis shows the state didn’t suffer the revenue losses it had predicted, economic burdens continue to fall on the state’s lower-income residents. A recent survey from the Public Policy Institute of California found 43% of households with incomes under $40,000 had someone with reduced work hours or pay within the last year.
Businesses, which have been critical of Newsom’s coronavirus response, are also likely to feel the pressure in the coming weeks as regional stay-at-home orders force Californians to suspend all but essential business as ICU capacities dwindle.
In a tweet, Myers said she is excited to join the governor’s team to “help our state recover, rebuild and reimagine an innovation economy that will work for all.”
This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 12:07 PM.