Josh Pitcock

Josh Pitcock
Chief of Staff to the Vice President
In office January 20, 2017 – July 28, 2017
Vice President	Mike Pence
Preceded by	Steve Ricchetti
Succeeded by	Nick Ayers
Personal details
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Katherine A. Seaman ​ (m. 2007)​
Education	DePauw University (BA) Wake Forest University (JD)

Joshua Matthew Pitcock is an American political operative who served as chief of staff to Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States, from January 2017 to July 2017. Pitcock has also been Assistant to the President. He was a member of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential transition team.^[1]

Early life and education

In 1994, Pitcock graduated from Anderson High School in Anderson, Indiana. Pitcock was a political science major and Asian Studies minor at DePauw University, where he was a diver. He graduated from there in 1998. He went on to earn a J.D. degree from Wake Forest University.^[2][3]

Career

Pitcock served as an aide to Mike Pence during his time in the United States House of Representatives and eventually became his chief of staff there. After Pence was elected governor of Indiana in 2012, Pitcock stayed in Washington, D.C. during Pence's governorship, serving as the state's lobbyist. Pitcock served as a senior policy adviser to Pence throughout the campaign and the transition. Having navigated the Hill with Pence before, he was seen as the natural choice to help Pence in his expected role as liaison between Congressional Republicans and the president.^[4]

Trump presidential transition team

Pitcock was a member of Donald Trump's presidential transition team. The transition team was a group of around 100 aides, policy experts, government affairs officials, and former government officials who were tasked with vetting, interviewing, and recommending individuals for top cabinet and staff roles in Trump's administration. He was part of the leadership staff.

Chief of Staff to the Vice President

In January 2017, Pitcock was appointed as Pence's chief of staff.^[5] Pitcock's tenure in the White House was always meant to be temporary, as he stayed on through the transition period and the first few months of the Trump administration, before stepping down during the summer.^[6] He was succeeded in the position by Nick Ayers, another longtime Pence advisor.^[7] In October 2017, Pitcock was appointed vice president of government affairs at Oracle, a multinational computer technology corporation based in California.^[8]

Personal life

Pitcock married Katherine A. Seaman on June 30, 2007, in Washington, D.C.^[9][10]

References

1. Nussbaum, Matthew (January 3, 2017). "Pence expected to name Josh Pitcock as chief of staff". Politico. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
2. "Josh Pitcock '98 is Chief of Staff to VP-Elect Mike Pence". depauw.edu. January 6, 2017. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
3. De La Bastide, Ken (January 6, 2017). "Anderson native Josh Pitcock, right, has been named Vice President-elect Mike Pence's chief of staff". heraldbulletin.com. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
4. Weller, Mark (January 10, 2017). "The man behind the man behind the man: Pence chief Josh Pitcock". policysoapbox.com. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
5. Groppe, Maureen (January 25, 2017). "Pence tapping former aides, and some lobbyists, for VP office staff". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
6. Haberman, Maggie (June 29, 2017). "Pence to Replace His Chief of Staff". New York Times. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
7. Groppe, Maureen (June 29, 2017). "Mike Pence's first major staff shakeup: Josh Pitcock out, Nick Ayers in as chief of staff". USA Today. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
8. Cook, Nancy; Palmer, Anna (October 10, 2017). "Former Pence aide Pitcock joining Oracle". Politico. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
9. DePauw University Publications. "Depauw Magazine Spring 2008". Retrieved November 15, 2011.
10. United States Office of Government Ethics. "Seaman Certificate of Divestiture" (PDF). Retrieved April 25, 2019.

Political offices
Preceded by Steve Ricchetti	Chief of Staff to the Vice President 2017	Succeeded by Nick Ayers