Elise Stefanik

Elise M. Stefanik is the Director of Communications and External Affairs at the Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI) where she oversees communications and digital strategy and spearheads FPI’s foreign policy briefing efforts for federal candidates.  Previously, Ms. Stefanik served as the Director of Policy Development for Governor Tim Pawlenty’s presidential campaign where she managed the economic and foreign policy development process.  Prior to her work on the presidential campaign, she was the Director of New Media and Deputy Policy Director for Governor Tim Pawlenty’s Freedom First PAC where she oversaw all online communications and built the Governor’s senior policy advisory teams. 

Ms. Stefanik served under President George W. Bush in the White House Office of the Chief of Staff assisting the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Chief of Staff in overseeing and coordinating the West Wing domestic and economic policy development process.  Previously, she worked on the President’s Domestic Policy Council where she coordinated policy positions on education, housing, veterans’ care, law enforcement and immigration.  Prior to her work in the West Wing, Ms. Stefanik worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee during the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.  In 2005, she served as a Fellow for the Foundation of Defense of Democracy.

Ms. Stefanik is also the Founder of American Maggie, a website for women political writers. 

Ms. Stefanik graduated from Harvard University with honors where she was one of three undergraduate women in her graduating class recognized by the Harvard College Women’s Leadership Award.  While at Harvard, she was an editorial editor of The Harvard Crimson and she served on the Student Advisory Committee of the Institute of Politics where she founded the Women’s Initiative in Leadership and Politics program and chaired the National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement. 

Ms. Stefanik originally hails from upstate New York.