Keisha Lance Bottoms, Former Atlanta Mayor, has a new role at White House

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who served from 2018 through 2021, is returning to the White House in a new role after having departed from a different role just a few months earlier.

Bottoms has been appointed as a member of President Joe Biden’s Export Council,  which serves as the principal national advisory committee on international trade. 

The White House made the announcement, saying the Council advises the president on government policies and programs that affect U.S. trade performance; promotes export expansion; and provides a forum for discussing and resolving trade-related problems in the business, industrial, agricultural, labor, and government sectors.

In a news release, the White House released a list of names the president intends to appoint to serve on different boards and commissions which included Bottoms. 

The White House’s statement said, “Keisha Lance Bottoms is a visionary leader. Serving as Mayor of Atlanta in the midst of a global pandemic and racial justice movement, Bottoms proved herself to be a highly respected leader and voice. During one of the worst economic downturns in history, Bottoms led her administration in proactively dealing with the impact of the COVID-19, successfully delivering four years of balanced budgets without resorting to property tax increases, layoffs, or furloughs of city employees.”

Bottoms wrote on her Instagram page, “I am honored to be appointed a member of the President’s Export Council.”

After leaving the Atlanta Mayor’s office, Bottoms joined Biden at the White House in a temporary role as director of the Office of Public Engagement and senior adviser to the  President. Bottoms stepped down from that position earlier this year.

Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign received early support from Bottoms during her time as mayor. She also routinely criticized former President Donald Trump. Biden and Bottoms enjoy a solid relationship and she has continued to serve as one of his confidants.

The White House statement pointed to Bottoms’ attributes saying: “Bottoms’ steadfast leadership and equity-focused philosophy have led to numerous accolades and leadership positions, including serving as the Chair of the Community Development and Housing Committee and the Census Task Force for the United States Conference of Mayors, Trustee for the African American Mayors Association, Chair of the Platform Committee for the 2020 Democratic National Convention, and the DNC’s Vice Chair of Civic Engagement and Voter Protection.”