PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 17, 2017
Contact: Media Office, 212-261-4433, [email protected]
Planned Parenthood Names Top HHS Official, Kevin Griffis, as Vice President for
Communications
Washington, DC — Planned Parenthood Federation of America announced that Kevin Griffis
has been named the organization’s Vice President for Communications.
Griffis brings nearly two decades of strategic communications and public affairs experience,
spanning political campaigns, public service and the private sector, to Planned Parenthood.
Griffis previously served as the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services under President Obama. There, he managed an office of 80
employees and led communications for one of the largest departments in the U.S. government.
Griffis oversaw communications on a wide range of health and public affairs issues - from the
Zika virus outbreak to high-profile legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to two ACA
Open Enrollments.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Kevin Griffis to our team,” said Planned Parenthood
Federation of America President and CEO Cecile Richards. “Planned Parenthood is an
essential health care provider on which millions across the country rely for health care
and education. Kevin brings unparalleled communications experience in health care
policy, advocacy, access, and delivery, and at a time when these issues have never been
more important.”
Planned Parenthood is a trusted health care provider and a leading advocate for women’s
health. One in five women has turned to Planned Parenthood at some point in her life for highquality, essential reproductive health care. The organization’s non-profit health centers provide
care for 2.5 million people each year. Planned Parenthood and the Planned Parenthood Action
Fund also represent more than 10 million activists, supporters, and donors, and works with
officials at the federal, state, and local level to shape pro-women’s health policies.
Griffis joins Planned Parenthood at a unique time. The organization boasts extremely high
levels of public support -- between 75-80 percent of the people in America -- and has been
bolstered by grassroots activism across the country. At the same time, both reproductive health
care and Planned Parenthood itself face political attacks under a hostile Congress and
administration.
“Our top priority is protecting access to care for our patients -- and standing up for the
millions of people across this country who need and deserve essential reproductive
health care,” said Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood
Federation of America. “Kevin will be a great leader for our communications team -
rallying the country to make sure access to reproductive health care is protected, and
ultimately expanded.”
Prior to joining HHS, Kevin worked as communications director for U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (DNJ), and as communications director and senior advisor for Booker’s successful 2013 special
election. He also has experience in the private sector as a principal on the Podesta Group’s
public relations team. Since the end of the Obama administration, he has worked with Protect
Our Care, the health care coalition assembled to fight the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
“Planned Parenthood plays a vital and irreplaceable role in ensuring access to health
care and education for millions of people - where they live and when they need it,” Griffis
said. “Over the last several years, our country has made real strides towards the goal of
a health system where income, race, gender, and geography are no longer barriers to
care, but there’s much more work to do and no more important place to do it than
Planned Parenthood.”
Kevin first joined the Obama administration in March 2009 as Director of Public Affairs for the
U.S. Department of Commerce. He served at the Commerce Department through the
BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill and major policy initiatives, including the Recovery Act and the
National Export Initiative. Prior to his work in the administration, Kevin spent 2007-08 on the
Obama campaign, first as the communications director for the South Carolina primary, going on
to work in the primary elections in Virginia, Ohio, Mississippi, Indiana and South Dakota. In the
general election, Kevin was Virginia Communications Director.
Before joining President Obama’s campaign, Kevin served as communications director for a
2006 U.S. Senate race in Arizona and for the state Coordinated Campaign during Tim Kaine’s
successful 2005 gubernatorial bid in Virginia. He spent the first six years of his career covering
government and politics as a reporter for newspapers in Maryland and Atlanta, Ga.
Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree from Beloit College in Wisconsin and has a 13-year-old
daughter.
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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable
health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex
education. With approximately 650 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood
organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment.
Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned
Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make
informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people
lead healthier lives.