Diane Dewhirst is an experienced leader in national legislative, policy, and political arenas. She recently served as a consultant to the U.S. Secretary of Education advising on priorities and key policy implementation. In 2021, she was appointed by President Biden as Senior Deputy Chair at the National Endowment for the Arts. Ms. Dewhirst served in the Office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi for more than 15 years, including as deputy chief of staff, where she managed a portfolio that included women’s economic agenda and intergovernmental affairs, and served as liaison to the Democratic Women’s Caucus. She represented Speaker Pelosi and the House of Representatives with national cultural institutions, including the Smithsonian Institution, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Library of Congress, and the National Archives, and managed major events including inaugurations and conventions. She also was the House liaison to Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission.
Prior to her work in the House of Representatives, Dewhirst worked in a variety of positions in the Clinton/Gore Administration including at the White House for then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. She also served as an independent consultant for organizations including the Smithsonian Institution, Children’s Defense Fund, Center for Budget Policy and Priorities, and the Alliance for Justice. Dewhirst began her Capitol Hill career with Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell (D-ME), and she served as communications director and national spokesperson.
Dewhirst is a long-time resident of Capitol Hill in DC where she and her husband, Bob Hickmott, raised three children.
