Former Clinton press secretary joins California Gov. Newsom as top economic aide

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom named former Clinton-era White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers as director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development on Friday.

The 59-year-old former Warner Bros. executive began working with Newsom, who is a Democrat, in May as a volunteer amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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Myers, the first female White House press secretary in history, will join new senior adviser Jim DeBoo in her role -- another one of a handful of additions hired during the second half of the governor's term.

In this May 14, 2018 file photo, Dee Dee Myers, executive vice president at Warner Bros., speaks during a women's forum at the Wynn hotel and casino in Las Vegas. Myers, a former press secretary to President Bill Clinton, became a senior adviser to California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, and director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. (AP Photo/John Locher)

In a statement, Newsom said that Meyers' decades of experience in both the public and private sectors was a contributing factor to the decision, noting she "brings an ability to work across sectors, ensuring that our recovery is built upon common ground and common solutions.”

In an interview with Politico, Myers said Friday that she knows there are challenges regarding the state's economy and the pandemic, but that there are also "a lot of opportunities." 

The Wynn Resorts board member said her first priorities are distributing the vaccine and getting small businesses back on their feet.

A Golden State native, Myers has known Newsom for years and told Politico she was looking forward to working with him.

"He's really smart ... he's a big and creative thinker, and I find that very energizing, to think about what's possible," she said. “He really understands, I think, the innovation economy and the potential of the innovation economy."

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The communications veteran could assist Newsom with an image problem surrounding the state's lockdown orders, as well as his unmasked attendance at an upscale wine country dinner party.

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Myers has a storied history in politics. The partial inspiration for "The West Wing" television series' C.J. Cregg, she has worked for Democratic state Sen. Art Torres, former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s 1990 gubernatorial campaign.

According to The Associated Press, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development has been without a leader since April, when Lenny Mendonca stepped down for personal reasons.