Maggie Williams, Ex-Chief Of Staff For Hillary Clinton, To Head Firm In D.C

Jet, Oct 16, 2000

The first Black woman to direct the operations of the first lady in the White House, Maggie Williams, was named president of Fenton Communications, one of the nation's largest communications firms, based in the nation's capital.

She succeeds David Fenton, who founded the firm in 1982. At a reception to announce the replacement, he said that Williams, who earned a reputation as Hillary Clinton's chief of staff, will oversee all of the firm's operations, staffing and client work.

"Maggie uniquely combines a passion for social justice with strategic depth, political skills and natural managerial ability," Fenton said at a reception to announce her new post.

The former White House staffer becomes the highest-ranked Black woman in a top 50 PR agency. Her rise ends a two-year search to find a replacement for founder Fenton.

After spending four years in the White House, Williams moved to Paris in 1997 where she worked as a communications consultant.

According to Fenton, his 18-year-old firm with offices in D.C. and New York has experienced a 40 percent growth over the last year.

Born and reared in Kansas City, MO, Williams graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Trinity College in Washington in 1977 and received a master's degree at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communications. She has worked for the Children's Defense Fund and once served as press secretary for Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-NJ).