‘Front door to the White House’: Former Columbia Mayor Benjamin relishes new role in D.C.
He’s gone from working in one capital city to another.
Former Mayor Steve Benjamin served for three terms in Columbia, leading the city from 2010 to 2021. But for the last five months, he’s taken on a new role, serving as a senior adviser to President Joe Biden and directing the White House’s Office of Public Engagement.
It’s a gig that has Benjamin splitting time between Columbia and Washington, D.C. — he’s got an apartment just a few blocks from the White House, he says — as he works in the role that is a sort of conduit between local, state and national groups and the Biden administration.
But on a recent morning he was on the ground in Columbia, offering remarks as a former mayor at the dedication ceremony for the renovated Babcock Building on the BullStreet District campus. The formerly abandoned building, which suffered a massive fire in September 2020, has now been turned into luxury apartments. The building’s iconic cupola — destroyed in the fire three years ago — is set to be replaced in coming weeks.
In a conversation with The State following the ceremony, Benjamin said he has fully embraced his role at the White House, which officially began April 1.
“We are the front door to the White House,” Benjamin said. “I like to say that we’re representative of the sacred trust the president has with the people he serves. (The Office of Public Engagement) doesn’t deal directly with legislators or governors or even Congress. We deal with civil society. Businesses, labor, chambers (of commerce), seniors, youth issues, civil rights issues. Every part of civil society.
“Quite frankly, the folks who make America work are the folks that we deal with on any number of issues every single day.”
In a February release announcing Benjamin’s appointment, the Biden administration said the role of the director of the White House’s Office of Public Engagement is to “work at the local, state, and national levels to ensure community leaders, diverse perspectives, and new voices have the opportunity to inform the work of the president in an inclusive, transparent and responsible way.”
The former Columbia mayor said part of his D.C. role is communicating the successes of the administration to various groups and interests — he made sure to talk about the president’s job creation numbers in his recent interview with The State — but also to bring back constructive criticism and suggestions to the White House.
He said the job also is about creating connections.
“We are an intermediary,” Benjamin said. “Sometimes it’s like air traffic control, making sure the right people get (connected) to the right places, whether it’s the National Economic Council, the National Security Council, the Domestic Policy Council or what have you.”
Benjamin was Columbia’s first African American mayor. During his three terms, he also served a stint as the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a national group that advises cities and towns nationwide. He is succeeding former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in leading the White House Office of Public Engagement.
As he stood back observing the scene after the recent ceremony at BullStreet, Benjamin looked toward the many local officials, dignitaries and residents in attendance and referred to them as “family and friends.” And he said he misses home when he’s away. But he was also quick to note he’s appreciative of his role in Washington, D.C.
“It’s an exciting time,” Benjamin said. “There is a lot going on. With the gravity and velocity of the issues we have a chance to participate in, it’s been an honor and a pleasure.”
