White House Cabinet Secretary

Last updated
White House Cabinet Secretary
US-WhiteHouse-Logo.svg
Evan Ryan US State Dept photo.jpg
Incumbent
Evan Ryan
since January 20, 2021
White House Office
Salary$173,922 Annually [1]

The White House cabinet secretary is a high-ranking position within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. [2] The White House cabinet secretary is the head of the Office of Cabinet Affairs (OCA) within the White House Office [2] and the primary liaison between the president of the United States and the Cabinet departments and agencies. The position is usually held by a White House commissioned officer, [3] traditionally either a deputy assistant to the president or an assistant to the president. [4] [5] [6]

According to the White House website, the cabinet secretary helps "to coordinate policy and communications strategy" and plays "a critical role in managing the flow of information between the White House and the federal departments and in representing the interests of the Cabinet to the White House." [4]

The White House cabinet secretary is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the president; the position does not require Senate confirmation. The White House cabinet secretary is among the twenty-two highest paid positions in the White House. [7] The current White House cabinet secretary is Evan Ryan.

List of cabinet secretaries

ImageNameStartEndPresident
Maxwell Rabb (cropped).jpg Max Rabb October 1953May 19, 1958 Dwight D. Eisenhower
(1953–1961)
Robert Keith Gray head shot 1950s.png Bob Gray May 19, 1958January 20, 1961
Fred Dutton 1961.jpg Fred Dutton January 20, 1961December 4, 1961 John F. Kennedy
(1961–1963)
UnknownDecember 4, 1961November 22, 1963
Horace Busby 1965 West Wing of White House - edit.tiff Horace Busby November 22, 1963September 15, 1965 Lyndon B. Johnson
(1963–1969)
UnknownSeptember 15, 1965March 31, 1966
Bob Kintner March 31, 1966June 14, 1967
UnknownJune 14, 1967January 20, 1969
John Whitaker January 20, 1969November 4, 1969 Richard Nixon
(1969–1974)
Alexander Butterfield, photo portrait, Nixon administration, black and white.jpg Alexander Butterfield
Acting
November 4, 1969August 9, 1974
2016 Leadership Academy .jpg Warren Rustand [8] August 9, 1974January 5, 1975 Gerald Ford
(1974–1977)
Jim Connor (cropped).jpg Jim Connor [9] January 5, 1975January 20, 1977
Watson 1977.jpg Jack Watson [10] January 20, 1977June 11, 1980 Jimmy Carter
(1977–1981)
Gene Eidenberg June 11, 1980January 20, 1981
Portraits of Assistants to President Ronald Reagan (cropped17).jpg Craig Fuller September 14, 1981January 30, 1985 Ronald Reagan
(1981–1989)
Alfred H. Kingon (cropped).jpg Alfred Kingon January 30, 1985February 18, 1987
Nancy Risque (cropped).jpg Nancy Risque February 18, 1987January 20, 1989
No image.svg Phillip Brady January 20, 1989June 26, 1989 George H. W. Bush
(1989–1993)
No image.svg Steve Danzansky June 26, 1989April 20, 1991
No image.svg Gary Blumenthal June 10, 1991September 10, 1992
No image.svg Daniel Casse September 10, 1992January 20, 1993
Cvarney1.jpg Christine Varney January 20, 1993October 14, 1994 Bill Clinton
(1993–2001)
Kitty Higgins January 26, 1995February 7, 1997
Thurgood Marshall Jr Head Shot.jpg Thurgood Marshall Jr. February 7, 1997January 20, 2001
Albert Hawkins January 20, 2001January 2003 George W. Bush
(2001–2009)
MontgomeryBrian (cropped).jpg Brian Montgomery January 2003February 24, 2005
No image.svg Heidi Smith February 24, 20052006
No image.svg Neal Burnham
Acting
2006August 9, 2006
No image.svg Ross Kyle August 9, 2006
Acting: August 9, 2006 – November 3, 2006
January 20, 2009
Chris Lu cropped.jpg Chris Lu January 20, 2009January 25, 2013 Barack Obama
(2009–2017)
Danielle Gray.jpg Danielle Gray January 25, 2013January 13, 2014
207-CD-CASTRO-0672-20161208-USICH-Council-Meeting-4384.jpg Broderick Johnson January 13, 2014January 20, 2017
Bill McGinley January 20, 2017July 19, 2019 Donald Trump
(2017–2021)
Matthew J. Flynn (cropped).jpg Matthew Flynn
Acting
July 19, 2019September 24, 2019
Kristan King Nevins September 24, 2019January 20, 2021
Evan Ryan US State Dept photo.jpg Evan Ryan January 20, 2021January 20, 2025 Joe Biden
(2021–2025)

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References

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  2. 1 2 "Executive Office of the President". The White House. The White House. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  3. Hennessey, Keith. "Working in the West Wing: Senior Staff". Keith Hennessey. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  4. 1 2 "White House Author". whitehouse.gov . Retrieved 13 August 2015 via National Archives.
  5. "White House Author". whitehouse.gov . Retrieved 13 August 2015 via National Archives.
  6. "White House Author". whitehouse.gov . Retrieved 13 August 2015 via National Archives.
  7. Korte, Gregory (July 1, 2014). "22 White House staffers make $172,200 a year". USA Today. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  8. "Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum". www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  9. "Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum". www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  10. "Jack H. Watson, Jr. Oral History". Miller Center. 2016-10-27. Retrieved 2021-06-29.