Former Gabrielle Giffords staffer to direct communications for 2020 DNC Committee in Milwaukee
Bill Glauber
Green Bay native Katie Peters has been named senior director of communications for the 2020 Democratic National Convention Committee in Milwaukee.
In a related hire announced this week, Hannah Mills, a Chicago native and University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate, was named press secretary for the host committee.
The moves come as organizers of the convention gird for months of intense media interest and scrutiny in the buildup to the event, July 13-16.
Most recently, Peters led the communications team at Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence, the organization founded by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
In a statement, Giffords lauded the appointment of Peters, calling her "a public servant of the first order."
"She's spent a career advancing causes she believes in and policies that will help people," Giffords said. "We relied on her tenacity and talent to help tackle the toughest challenges and lead on the darkest of days. Her leadership has helped Giffords grow into a leading voice in America's fight against gun violence. I'm looking forward to seeing her in Milwaukee!"
Peters is a UW-Eau Claire graduate. She previously handled communications jobs with the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the Barack Obama administration, and Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.
For the Milwaukee convention, she'll develop media strategy and build the communication team's infrastructure.
Mills will oversee the communications effort for the host committee, which is tasked with raising up to $70 million for the event and recruiting thousands of volunteers.
Mills previously worked at Kivvit, a Chicago public affairs and strategic communications firm.
The two hires are part of the build-out of what convention organizers have likened to a "pop-up" business.
Last month, Phil Walzak was appointed a special consultant with the convention. Walzak, a former New York Police Department spokesman, once served as a top campaign aide to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.
Walzak is now working with another senior adviser, Theresa Vilmain, who served as a political consultant for Jim Doyle and Herb Kohl.