Kayla Tonnessen
Kayla Tonnessen formerly served as Chief of Staff of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy during the Trump Administration. Ms. Tonnessen previously served as the office’s Assistant Director of External and Legislative Affairs where she was responsible for media relations, public appearances, intergovernmental affairs, stakeholder engagement, and coordination with the Congress.
Prior to joining the Trump Administration in November 2017, Kayla was the Senior Director of Government Affairs at The Ohio State University where she was responsible for engaging the university’s alumni to effectively advocate with elected officials and community leaders on legislative initiatives. Previously, Kayla served in the Government Relations team in Columbus, OH for Nationwide insurance, a Fortune 100 company, where she was the company’s chief political fundraiser and managed Nationwide’s extensive political programs.
During her time on Capitol Hill, she served as a Professional Staff Member in the U.S. House of Representatives for the Committee on the Judiciary where she directed coalitions and managed committee operations. Kayla began her career as a civilian Public Affairs Officer for the U.S Army in the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs at the Pentagon where she coordinated media relations, command information programs, and community outreach activities for senior military officers.
Kayla holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from the University of South Florida and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.