President Reagan Chief of Staff Coming to Stonehill

March 20, 2012

Former Reagan Chief of Staff and current Chief Administrative Officer at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation to give presentation at Stonehill

Joanne M. Drake, the chief administrative officer at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, will be on hand at Stonehill's Martin Institute on Tuesday, March 27 at 7 p.m. to reflect on the legacy of Ronald Reagan. Drake has worked closely with President Reagan and his family, serving in various senior positions since 1984, including Chief of Staff and Official Spokesperson.

The 40th President of the United States, Reagan served in office from 1981 to 1989. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation is the nonprofit organization created by President Reagan himself and specifically charged by him with continuing his legacy and sharing his principles of individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy and national pride.

The Foundation, located in Simi Valley, Calif., is a non-partisan organization which sustains the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, the Reagan Center for Public Affairs, the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Presidential Learning Center and its internationally recognized, award-winning Discovery Center, and the Air Force One Pavilion.

Drake joined the Foundation staff in January of 2005 and is currently its Chief Administrative Officer. In addition to managing all administrative aspects of the foundation, Drake serves as the spokesperson for former first lady Nancy Reagan, and coordinated the major museum/exhibits renovation that opened in February 2011.

Drake serves as the liaison between the foundation and federal Archives staff, coordinates staffing resources, budgeting, and serves as the Reagan family representative to outside organizations and for all aspects of foundation projects.

She was the project director for the publication of President Reagan's personal diaries and recent projects honoring our 40th president with permanent statues in Washington, D.C. She has served as President Reagan's family representative for review and clearance of all Reagan Presidential materials.

From January 1995-December 2004, Drake (pictured below) served as Chief of Staff and Official Spokesperson in the Office of Ronald Reagan. She was responsible for overseeing all of President and Mrs. Reagan's affairs, including domestic and international issues, government relations, political affairs and public relations.

As Chief of Staff, she represented President Reagan to government agencies throughout the U.S. and abroad, while also supporting the activities of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation. In June of 2004, she served as the national coordinator for all of the state funeral services for President Reagan, traveling with the family from California to Washington, D.C.

Drake first joined the Reagan/Bush reelection campaign in Washington, D.C. in 1984, assigned to the Ethnic Voters and Special Groups Division. Following President Reagan's successful reelection, Drake assisted with the operations of the 50th American Presidential Inaugural Committee.

In January of 1985, President Reagan appointed her to his White House staff in the Office of Presidential Advance, where she served throughout his presidency as the Assistant Director for Trip Coordination. In 1989, Drake returned to California with the former president, where she first served as Director of Advance and then became his Chief of Staff.

Contact

For more information, contact Communications and Media Relations at 508-565-1321.