- Pritzker Fellows
- Current Fellows
- Liz Johnson
Liz Johnson
Former Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Mitt Romney
Biography
Liz Johnson is Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Mitt Romney. A veteran communications and policy strategist with nearly 20 years of government and political experience, Ms. Johnson was named Chief of Staff in 2021 after having served as the Senator’s communications director.
Prior to joining Senator Romney’s team, Ms. Johnson directed the Office of Public Affairs for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, leading the agency’s global communications strategy and a staff of nearly 60 employees. In 2017, she served as spokeswoman for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch and helped lead messaging strategy for his successful Senate confirmation.
Her congressional and campaign experience includes having served as communications director and senior political advisor to U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire where she established Ayotte’s national profile on major foreign policy and national security issues. Ms. Johnson also served as a spokesperson for U.S. Senator Susan Collins of Maine and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Ms. Johnson is an advisory board member of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Bipartisan Chiefs of Staff Initiative and past president of the U.S. Senate Press Secretaries Association. A Maine native, Ms. Johnson graduated magna cum laude from St. Michael’s College in 2006 with a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish.
Seminars
“My Four Most Difficult Days: Defining Moments on the Frontlines”
Liz Johnson, the last chief of staff to Senator Mitt Romney, has nearly two decades of experience spanning the United States Senate, the Executive Branch, and high-profile political campaigns. Liz will reflect on four especially challenging days from the high-stakes world of Washington that tested her critical thinking skills, decision-making, leadership capacity, and, at times, her own values. Each day represents both a pivotal crossroads in her own career, and the general complexity of navigating the incredibly unpredictable and high-pressure environment of the nation’s capital. The seminar will explore how these defining moments shaped her understanding of leadership, resilience, and the art of political communication. Together we will sort through critical challenges that everyone in public service eventually faces, including:
- Leading under pressure
- Crisis communications
- Balancing competitive interests and ethical dilemmas
- Building and sustaining trust in adversarial conditions
- Strategic thinking in uncertain and dynamic contexts
Fellows seminars are off the record and open to current UChicago students only.
Sometimes character is defined by how you leave. There are unique challenges and opportunities that come with navigating the end (or even a temporary setback) of a political career through a high-stakes election loss. I will share experiences of a tough campaign defeat for my boss, then-Senator Kelly Ayotte, in 2016 and how those lessons shaped our respective futures.
How do you fight a messaging battle you know you cannot win? How do you inspire a team when their mission is under relentless public attack? In an era dominated by misinformation, disinformation and fragmented media landscapes, traditional communication strategies are being tested like never before.
As the head of public affairs for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the early days of the prior Trump Administration, I led the agency’s messaging efforts amid intense public scrutiny and polarized views on the administration’s immigration enforcement priorities.
I’ll talk about how I worked to communicate effectively in an environment shaped by rapid information shifts, maintain team morale and cohesion in the face of public criticism and craft messages that would resonate in contentious debates.