Just the Facts...
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Won a Hoola Hoop contest in Charleston, SC in 1995
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Biked from Pennsylvania to North Carolina one summer during college
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Believes bacon makes life better
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Co-authored Prayer & Pound Cake which made #1 on the Amazon Hot Releases for Christian prayer books
Deana Bass Williams is a founding partner at Bass Public Affairs. She is the co-host of Policy and Pound Cake and the opinions editor of BPA LiveWire.
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Deana's first job in the business was writing obituary notices and wedding announcements for her hometown newspaper The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Georgia. Since those early years, political leaders, business leaders and national non-profits have called on her to manage their messaging and their media.
Before being tapped by Dr. Ben Carson to serve as his national press secretary for his 2016 presidential bid, Deana managed the media for key political figures in Washington, DC. She served as press secretary and spokesperson for U.S. Congressman Howard P. Buck McKeon (Former Chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee and the House Armed Services Committee), Director of Coalitions for U.S. Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (Former Chair of the House Republican Conference) and Deputy Director of Coalitions to Ken Mehlman (Former Chairman of the Republican National Committee). Deana also served as the first Executive Director of The Gloucester Institute founded by Charles and Kay Coles James.
In addition to her national media relations experience, Deana served as a staff writer for regional daily newspapers covering issues related to local and state government and education reform. Her work as a staff writer and her experience as the news producer of a CBS affiliate gives her a keen appreciation for writing, editing and messaging that appeals to grassroots audiences.
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On January 20, 2017, Deana took a leave of absence from Bass Public Affairs to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff to Dr. Ben Carson in his role as Secretary of The Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Deana holds a B.A. in communication and international relations from Salem College, where she served on the Board of Trustees for 12 years and an M.F.A. in film production from Ohio University.
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Deana and her husband Col. La Forrest Williams (ret) live in southern Maryland.