5 Things You Need to Know About Julie Radford, Ivanka Trump's New Chief of Staff
Ivanka Trump has hired a chief of staff, which is not typically a thing that first daughters have. But Ivanka isn't a typical first daughter. Since announcing her position as a special assistant to the president and procuring an office in the West Wing, Ivanka has been building out her team. She also has an assistant and is continuing to work closely with close allies like Dina Powell and Hope Hicks, who has served as a senior communications adviser to Donald Trump, according to Politico.
News that Julie Radford, the latest addition, had joined as Ivanka's chief of staff broke April 21. While most of the people working with Ivanka in the White House have been close collaborators with the Trump family for some time, Radford joins as a relative outsider. Here's what you need to know about the woman leading Ivanka's White House team.
1. She's the daughter of politician Suzanne Terrell.
Politics is nothing new to Radford's family. Her mother, Suzanne Terrell, is a Louisiana politician and lawyer. Terrell's experience in politics goes back to 1994, when she was elected to the New Orleans city council, on which she served until 2000. In 1999, she made history as the first Republican woman elected to statewide office in Louisiana when she became Louisiana’s Commissioner of Elections.
Terrell also spent several years working in George W. Bush's administration in a position in the Department of Commerce, which included work focused on economic development of the Gulf Coast. Her connection to the area is personal, because she lost her New Orleans home during Hurricane Katrina.
2. She worked in the Bush administration.
Like her mother, Radford worked with the Bush administration. She worked for former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, and the gig was her first after graduating from Southern Methodist University.
While little has been reported about the specific work Radford did during her time in the Bush White House, Spellings speaks highly of her. “I think Ivanka Trump has a good eye for policy, especially around women’s issues,” Spellings told Politico. “Julie is a wonderful person, with a can-do attitude.”
3. She was recruited by Dina Powell, an adviser of Ivanka's.
According to Politico, in February, Radford reached out to Ivanka's "close adviser," Dina Powell, who currently serves as deputy national security adviser and a senior economic counselor. Radford reportedly showed her support for Ivanka and the message of women's empowerment she felt the first daughter championed on the campaign trail.
Powell and Radford have a professional history. They met through their work at Goldman Sachs when Radford was a consultant to the firm's 10,000 Small Businesses initiative, which Powell oversaw. This makes Radford one of many current White House staffers with ties to Goldman Sachs; others include National Economic Council head Gary Cohn, chief strategist Steve Bannon, and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.
For her part, Powell gives Radford a glowing recommendation. “She’s one of the most talented women I have ever worked with,” Powell told Politico. “I saw firsthand her ability to both creatively develop new and innovate programs and execute them based on measurable results.”
4. She's the mother of three children, just like Ivanka.
Like her new boss, Ivanka Trump, Radford is the mother of three children, including 8-month-old twins. She and her family have not yet relocated to Washington for her new job in the White House. Her husband, Wynn Radford IV, works for BP America as associate director of communications and external affairs.
5. She traveled with Ivanka to Germany.
Although Radford has yet to move her family, she has already traveled with Ivanka. She accompanied her boss on a trip to Berlin, Germany, for a W20 women's summit, Ivanka's first overseas trip in her new role. Ivanka participated in a panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship at the event (where she was met with boos), which was organized by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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