John Podesta
John David Podesta Jr. (born January 8, 1949) is an American political consultant who has served as senior advisor to the president for clean energy innovation and implementation since September 2022. Podesta previously served as White House chief of staff to President Bill Clinton from 1998 to 2001 and counselor to President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2015. Before that, he served in the Clinton administration as White House staff secretary from 1993 to 1995 and White House deputy chief of staff for operations from 1997 to 1998.
John Podesta | |
|---|---|
Podesta in 2024 | |
| 2nd United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate | |
| Assumed office March 6, 2024 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | John Kerry |
| Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation | |
| Assumed office September 2, 2022 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Kristina Costa |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Counselor to the President | |
| In office January 1, 2014 – February 13, 2015 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Pete Rouse |
| Succeeded by | Kellyanne Conway |
| 20th White House Chief of Staff | |
| In office October 20, 1998 – January 20, 2001 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Deputy | Steve Ricchetti Maria Echaveste |
| Preceded by | Erskine Bowles |
| Succeeded by | Andy Card |
| White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations | |
| In office January 20, 1997 – October 20, 1998 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Chief of Staff | Erskine Bowles |
| Preceded by | Evelyn Lieberman |
| Succeeded by | Steve Ricchetti |
| White House Staff Secretary | |
| In office January 20, 1993 – June 30, 1995 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Phillip Brady |
| Succeeded by | Todd Stern |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John David Podesta Jr. January 8, 1949 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Mary Podesta (m. 1978) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Tony Podesta (brother) |
| Education | Knox College (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
He is the former president, and now chair and counselor, of the Center for American Progress (CAP), a think tank in Washington, D.C., as well as a visiting professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center and was chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Additionally, he was a co-chairman of the Obama-Biden transition team.
In his current role as senior advisor to President Biden, Podesta oversees the disbursement of $370–783 billion in clean energy tax credits and incentives authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
On January 31, 2024, it was announced that Podesta will succeed John Kerry as top U.S. climate diplomat.