Aryav Dhar ’24
Kelly Moore, Episcopal Academy class of 2008, works as Director of Communications for the United States Senate. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Communications, and she earned her Master’s Degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University. Here, she discusses her experiences both as a student at Episcopal and as a communications director during the Trump administration.
Please explain what you do and who you work for.
Photo courtesy of Kelley Moore
Answer: I work on Capitol Hill as Communications Director for U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito from West Virginia. I was actually born in Charleston, West Virginia and moved to Pennsylvania in Lower School, so it’s been a fun experience to work for a member of Congress from my first home state. As the senator’s Communications Director, I serve as her spokesperson and help communicate her message. I also do a lot of writing—press releases, speeches, media advisories, interview briefings, etc., book and staff interviews, brief the senator on news of the day, communicate with reporters, and work with our legislative staff to help communicate the senator’s efforts to her constituents.
As an Upper Schooler at EA, did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in the government?
Answer: I did not. I knew I wanted to pursue a career in Communications, but not necessarily government. When I was at EA, I really wanted to work in Communications for a professional sports team. I was always interested in politics, but it wasn’t until my junior year of college that I realized politics was the route I wanted to take. At the time, I was taking a course called “Communications and the Presidency” and we had weekly meetings with our professor (who also had an interesting political background) to go over our final papers. During one of those meetings, my professor and I had a conversation about what I wanted to do next. My professor encouraged me to work on a political campaign and give it a try. I ended up taking his advice and working for then-Congresswoman Capito on her Senate campaign in 2014 as a Digital Coordinator. In November 2014, my boss won her election and became the first female to represent West Virginia in the U.S. Senate. After the campaign, I was hired to work in her official office in Washington, D.C., where I started as a Staff Assistant, then moved over to the Press Office where I served as Press Assistant, then Press Secretary, and now Communications Director. Additionally, this year, my boss was elected as the Ranking Member on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee. I serve as her Communications Director on the committee as well.
What sorts of activities were you involved in at EA?
Answer: During my time at EA, I was involved in Student Council, Young Republicans, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, and Bryn Mawr Tutoring.
How do you think the Trump administration handled communications to the public?
Answer: There’s no question that President Trump revolutionized Twitter in getting his message out to the American people. However, with how unpredictable he was, and with his tendency to go off message, it was hard for traditional communications people around him. The reason being is oftentimes, these individuals would put out one message and then the president would sometimes undercut it later that day. It was a blessing and a curse at times.
How do you think specifically former President Donald Trump handled communications to the public?
Answer: Similar response as the above. The president’s communications methods resulted in there being no questions as to how he felt about certain issues or where he stood on something. I think he was very transparent in that sense. You knew exactly how he felt at all hours of the day just by reading his Twitter feed. You knew when he approved of legislation or when he changed his mind on an issue. You also knew how he felt about particular people. He was outspoken and he used his social media platforms as a way to get these thoughts and messages out—sometimes it helped him and sometimes it didn’t.
Do you think that communications/social media played a big role in the events that unfolded on the Capitol? Do you think it could have been stopped?
Answer: I think a lot of factors contributed to the awful events of that day. It’s hard to pinpoint one in particular. Social media certainly played a role. I know Congress is still in the process of getting to the bottom of these unanswered questions from January 6. Regardless, I hope something like that never happens again. It was an incredibly sad day for our entire country.