White House Author

Bess Evans serves as a Senior Associate Director of Public Engagement and Senior Policy Advisor, where she manages outreach and policy on all issues related to health, including the Affordable Care Act, behavioral health and substance use disorder, public health and health epidemics, and gun violence prevention. She manages teams of individuals across the White House and the federal government on mission-focused projects and programs in these areas that yield positive outcomes for the taxpayer, communities, and the nation. In this work, she builds coalitions of a diverse set of leaders from the advocacy community, non-profit and private sectors. Over the course of her time in OPE, she has developed strategy and national campaigns that yield local impact to advance Administrative priorities including enrolling millions in health insurance, encouraging action on Zika and funding for the opioid epidemic, and using Administrative levers and grassroots organizing to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Previously, Evans served as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, facilitating the White House’s engagement with the science, technology, and innovation community. There, she managed partnerships around high-impact portfolios including STEM education, resources for startups and high-growth entrepreneurs, youth jobs, climate, and the budget. Bess previously served at the Department of Justice in the Office on Violence Against Women and in the White House Visitors Office.

Originally from Evanston, Illinois, she graduated from DePauw University, where she received the Walker Cup for her outstanding service to the University.