Bill Burton is a renowned political and communications strategist who has served as a senior adviser to political leaders, corporations and nonprofits in California, Washington, D.C., and around the country. In California, Bill and his colleagues have experience consulting on political, litigation and public affairs projects of all different scales, working with everyone from individuals to some of the most recognizable brands in the world.
Bill was one of the earliest hires on President Obama’s first presidential campaign where he was the national press secretary beginning in January 2007. He served in the Obama administration as deputy White House press secretary and special assistant to the president. In that capacity, he traveled extensively, both domestically and internationally, advising the president, briefing reporters both on Air Force One and at the podium in the White House briefing room. After leaving the White House, Bill co-founded and served as senior strategist for the super PAC Priorities USA Action during President Obama’s reelection campaign in 2012.
During the 2006 electoral cycle, in which Democrats won control of the House of Representatives, Bill worked as Rahm Emanuel’s communications director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Before that, Bill served as a communications adviser to Democratic Leader Rep. Dick Gephardt, Senators John Kerry and Tom Harkin and others. Most recently, Bill has served as an advisor to Senator Amy Klobuchar’s presidential campaign and has worked with leading trial attorneys to build successful messaging campaigns around important cases and issue areas.
Since 2015, Bill has made Santa Barbara his home with his wife Kelly Ward Burton and two kids Oscar and Emma. Bill loves playing guitar and teaching his son to play basketball.