A 2006 SUNY Geneseo graduate, Liz Allen, has been named White House deputy communications director and deputy assistant to the president.
Allen has served in the Obama administration in various capacities since his election in 2008, most recently as special assistant to the president for message planning. She also served in Vice President Joe Biden’s press office and eventually became his deputy director of communications.
Allen majored in political science and international relations at Geneseo.
“I loved Geneseo and am a better person for it,” Allen said in a newsletter published by the Department of Political Science and International Relations. “I miss the lively discussions in various poli sci classes. I also loved Mama Mia’s and spring in Geneseo, where we all studied outside together.”
During the fall 2005 semester, Allen undertook an internship in Washington, D.C., with the State Department, an experience that helped build the foundation for her success. In order to cover the cost for participating in the "Semester-at-Sea" program (an academic program where students take courses aboard a ship, visiting countries along the way), she worked three jobs during the previous summer.
“Anyone who knows Liz would not be surprised at this appointment,” said Jeff Koch, professor and chair of Geneseo's Department of Political Science and International Relations. “She was hard-working, analytical, inquisitive and possessed strong interpersonal skills.”
Allen is a native of Williamsville, a Buffalo suburb.
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