Dina Powell, also known as Dina Powell McCormick
(
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Habib , ar, دينا حبيب; June 12, 1973)
[ is an American financial executive, philanthropist, and political advisor, best known for having been the United States Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy] to President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
.
Born in Cairo, Egypt
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, she came to the United States when a child. A lifelong member of the Republican Party, she became involved in Texas-oriented Republican politics during and following her time at the University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
. During the George W. Bush administration
George W. Bush's tenure as the 43rd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2001, and ended on January 20, 2009. Bush, a Republican from Texas, took office following a narrow victory over Democratic ...
, Powell served in several roles, first as an Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel and then as and Deputy Undersecretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy. In 2007, Powell joined Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs () is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered at 200 West Street in Lower Manhattan, with regional headquarters in London, Warsaw, Bangalore, H ...
, where she became a managing director
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
and eventually a partner at the firm, as well as president of its non-profit subsidiary, the Goldman Sachs Foundation
The Goldman Sachs Foundation is a New York-based, not-for-profit private foundation that is a subsidiary of the financial services firm Goldman Sachs and has the goal of bettering humanity worldwide, especially regarding health and education. In ...
. In that capacity she ran the foundation's 10,000 Women program.
Powell joined the Trump administration
Donald Trump's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 45th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Donald Trump, his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican Party ...
during the transition period and remained thereafter. As a Deputy National Security Advisor she had a role in determining the first year of the administration's foreign policy,[ especially in regard to Middle East policy. She was also an Assistant to the President and Senior Counselor for Economic Initiatives, a position – demanding about 20 percent of her time][ – that continued after her security appointment.][
She left the administration in early 2018,] returning to work for Goldman Sachs, where she is a Partner and now serves on the Management Committee. In October 2018, Powell was a leading candidate for the position of United States Ambassador to the United Nations, but withdrew from consideration and remained with the financial firm.[ In 2022 she was named the new chair of the ]Robin Hood Foundation
The Robin Hood Foundation is a charitable organization which attempts to alleviate problems caused by poverty in New York City. The organization also administers a relief fund for disasters in the New York City area. In 2010, a key supporter gave ...
, to begin in 2023.[
]
Early life and education
Dina Habib was born in Cairo, Egypt
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
to a middle-class, Coptic Christian
Copts ( cop, ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ; ar, الْقِبْط ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group indigenous to North Africa who have primarily inhabited the area of modern Egypt and Sudan since antiquity. Most ethnic Copts ar ...
family. Her father was a captain in the Egyptian Army, and her mother had attended American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo (AUC; ar, الجامعة الأمريكية بالقاهرة, Al-Jāmi‘a al-’Amrīkiyya bi-l-Qāhira) is a private research university in Cairo, Egypt. The university offers American-style learning programs ...
.[ Her parents brought her younger sister and her to the United States as children.][ Habib arrived knowing no English.][
The Habib family settled in ]Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
, where they had relatives within the Coptic community.[ The parents ran a ]convenience store
A convenience store, convenience shop, corner store or corner shop is a small retail business that stocks a range of everyday items such as coffee, groceries, snack foods, confectionery, soft drinks, ice creams, tobacco products, lottery ticket ...
,[ and her father also worked at times as a bus driver and in real estate, while her mother sometimes pursued a career in social work.] A third daughter was born once the family was in America.[
Habib learned English at school, but her family insisted that she be raised with Egyptian culture and language,][ hence, she is fluent in ]Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
.[ Of her parents' actions, she later said, "I so desperately wanted a turkey and cheese sandwich with potato chips, and instead I always got grape leaves and hummus and falafel, not even in a cool brown paper bag. And now, of course, I appreciate so much that I did."][ Each of the family members born abroad became a ]naturalized citizen of the United States
Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...
.[ She attended the prep school for girls ]Ursuline Academy of Dallas
, motto_translation = I will serve
, location =
, streetaddress = 4900 Walnut Hill Lane
, city = Dallas
, state = Texas
, county = ( Dallas County)
, zipcode = 75229
, country ...
,[ from which she was graduated in 1991.][
She then attended the ]University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts
The College of Liberal Arts (COLA) is the liberal arts college at The University of Texas at Austin. The college dates back to 1883, the university's opening year, but today's college was formed in 1970 with the split of the College of Arts & Sc ...
where she enrolled in the Plan I Honors program.[ She performed community service as part of her program and joined the ]Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta (), also known as Tri Delta, is an international women's fraternity founded on November 27, 1888 at Boston University by Sarah Ida Shaw, Eleanor Dorcas Pond, Isabel Morgan Breed, and Florence Isabelle Stewart.
Tri Delta part ...
sorority.[
Habib helped pay for school by working as a legislative assistant for two Republican members of the ]Texas State Senate
The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per cons ...
: Ike Harris
Isaiah "Ike" Harris (born November 27, 1952) is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL for the St. Louis Cardinals (1975–77) and the New Orleans Saints (1978–81).
Harris played college football at Iowa State University. In 1 ...
and Jerry E. Patterson.[Rae Nadler]
"Marketing America: Dina Habib Powell"
, ''The Alcade'' (January/February 2007), pp. 53–55. With them, she worked on a number of policy matters, including juvenile justice reform.[
Her family strongly identified with the Republican Party and greatly admired ]Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
.[Jasmine El-Rashidi]
"Dina Habib Powell: Egyptian in the White House"
, ''Al-Ahram Weekly
''Al-Ahram Weekly'' is an English-language weekly broadsheet printed by the Al-Ahram Publishing House in Cairo, Egypt.
History and profile
''Al Ahram Weekly'' was established in 1991 by the ''Al-Ahram'' newspaper, which also runs a French-langu ...
'' (Cairo), October 7–13, 2004. She adopted the same views, later recalling that "... when I started to work with Republicans I realised that I agree with the views of personal empowerment, of less government involvement, of having the ability to talk about things without the government necessarily being involved. And on the economic side I'm definitely a believer that people should spend more of their money and spend it the way they think so and invest it wisely."[
For her honors thesis, she wrote about the value of mentoring juvenile delinquents.][ She graduated from the University of Texas with honors with a bachelor's degree in Humanities][ from its College of Liberal Arts in 1995.]["Longhorns Assume Leadership Roles in Trump Administration"]
, UTNews, University of Texas, February 1, 2017.
Early political career
Habib had applied to, and had been accepted by, a law school. However, in part due to her Arabic fluency,
she received an offer of a year-long internship with the U.S. Senator from Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison.[ She deferred the school and accepted the internship,][ moving to ]Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
in the process.[ She never returned to law school.]
After the year-long internship concluded,[ she took a job with ]Dick Armey
Richard Keith Armey (; born July 7, 1940) is an American economist and politician. He was a U.S. Representative from Texas's (1985–2003) and House Majority Leader (1995–2003). He was one of the engineers of the "Republican Revolution" of t ...
, the Republican Majority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives.[ There, she worked as a member of his leadership staff.][ This role lasted four years.][
After that, she took a job with the ]Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
where she was Director of Congressional Affairs and helped to find positions for Republicans in lobbying firms.[ As part of this role she became involved in the ]George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000
The 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush, then governor of Texas, was formally launched on June 14, 1999 as Governor George W. Bush, Bush, the eldest son of former President George H. W. Bush, announced his intention to seek the Republ ...
.[
]
First marriage and family
Powell married Richard C. Powell on January 10, 1998. A public relations professional, he became a managing director of the Washington-based Quinn Gillespie & Associates
Quinn Gillespie & Associates (QGA) was an American lobbying and communications firm founded in 2000 by Republican political strategist Ed Gillespie and Democratic operative Jack Quinn. It was sold in 2004 to WPP, one of the world's largest commu ...
[ and later became employed by ]Teneo
Teneo is a public relations and advisory company. The company was founded in June 2011 by Declan Kelly, Paul Keary, and Doug Band, and currently has more than 1,450 employees located in 40 offices. In 2019, Teneo sold a majority stake to ...
as the president of Teneo Strategy. Following the marriage she began to use his last name professionally.[
The couple has two daughters, born in 2001 and 2006.] In 2007 the couple had purchased a $3.85 million condominium apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Bush administration
White House Personnel Office
While working at the RNC, Powell was spotted by Clay Johnson III
Clay Johnson III is an American civil servant who served as the deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget from 2003 to the end of the George W. Bush Administration in 2009.
Early life and education
Johnson was born a ...
, who would come to be in charge of hiring for the George W. Bush administration
George W. Bush's tenure as the 43rd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2001, and ended on January 20, 2009. Bush, a Republican from Texas, took office following a narrow victory over Democratic ...
.[Elisabeth Bumiller]
"A Mideast Strategy That Includes a Mideast Card"
, ''The New York Times'', March 21, 2005. The day after the election Johnson called Powell regarding the presidential transition.[
Once in office, Johnson took her on as a ]Deputy Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel
Deputy or depute may refer to:
* Steward (office)
* Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy"
* Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including:
** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spai ...
.[
]
Beginning in January 2003, Johnson moved up and elsewhere in the administration and Powell took on his role, thereby serving as the Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel, a senior staff position at the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
.[ In this role, she was responsible for assisting the President on the appointments of the cabinet, subcabinet and ambassadorial positions across the U.S. Government.][ She had a staff of 35 reporting to her; once the second term of the Bush presidency began in January 2005, was part of hiring some 4,000 people.][Helin Jung]
"5 Things to Know About Dina Powell, Trump's Deputy National Security Adviser"
, ''Cosmopolitan'', March 16, 2017.[ She participated in some of the recommendations process as well as processing the applications.][ At age 29, she was the youngest person ever to hold this position.][
Some of the recommendations she made for the U.S. State Department put her in good stead with Secretary of State ]Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th Uni ...
.[
]
Department of State
In March 2005, Powell was nominated as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, an assignment that included becoming an ambassador to the Arabic-speaking world.[ News of the nomination landed on the front page of '']Al-Ahram
''Al-Ahram'' ( ar, الأهرام; ''The Pyramids''), founded on 5 August 1875, is the most widely circulating Egyptian daily newspaper, and the second oldest after '' al-Waqa'i`al-Masriya'' (''The Egyptian Events'', founded 1828). It is majori ...
'' and made her notable in Egypt.[ Powell served in that position from July 11, 2005,] through June 6, 2007. Powell was also designated by Secretary Rice to the office of Deputy Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. In addition, Powell led the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,[ in whose responsibility fell the ]Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
and similar foreign endeavors.[ In her role, Powell traveled worldwide with Secretary Rice, but mostly focused on going to the ]Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
.
During this period, Powell established several public-private partnerships between American corporations and foreign entities, including a U.S.-Lebanon partnership in the wake of the 2006 war that sought to help rebuild the local economy.[ These may have been under the protection of the ]Middle East Partnership Initiative
The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is a United States State Department program that fosters meaningful and effective partnerships between citizens, civil society, the private sector, and governments in the Middle East and North Afri ...
. She helped create some cultural exchanges between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, including Iranian doctors coming west and a U.S. wrestling team going east.[ She was also responsible for bringing in scholars from other nation-states.][ Powell worked to establish the Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Women's Mentoring Partnership, which connected up-and-coming female leaders with the community of Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit,][ a joint venture between the State Department and '' Fortune magazine'' that received praise over the next decade.][
In 2007, she left the White House and government service, saying "It's the right time for me and my family."][ She had been the highest-ranking Arab-American in the Bush administration.][ '']The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''assessed that Dina Habib Powell had "played a critical role in the administration's efforts to bolster public diplomacy in the face of the wave of anti-Americanism that has swept the Arab world since the U.S. invasion of Iraq."[ Powell would later join the Advisory Council of the ]George W. Bush Presidential Center
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which opened on April 25, 2013, is a complex that includes former United States President George W. Bush's presidential library and museum, the George W. Bush Policy Institute, and the offices of the Geor ...
.
Goldman Sachs
Powell joined Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs () is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered at 200 West Street in Lower Manhattan, with regional headquarters in London, Warsaw, Bangalore, H ...
in 2007 as a managing director,[ having been hired by John F. W. Rogers, a longtime Goldman figure with experience with past Republican administrations.][ Powell was then named partner in 2010,][Julia La Roche]
"Meet The Goldman Partner Who Gets Paid $2 Million To Give Away The Bank's Money"
, Business Insider
''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German publ ...
, October 28, 2013. Powell has conceded that she joined Goldman Sachs despite having no background in the subject of finance, but has said that her entire career has been guided by the notion of not planning a lot but rather "just taking that leap of faith."[
Powell oversaw the firm's impact investing business and served as the president of the ]Goldman Sachs Foundation
The Goldman Sachs Foundation is a New York-based, not-for-profit private foundation that is a subsidiary of the financial services firm Goldman Sachs and has the goal of bettering humanity worldwide, especially regarding health and education. In ...
beginning in 2010. This was in addition to her responsibilities as global head of the Office of Corporate Engagement and a member of the Goldman Sachs Partnership Committee.
As the leader of Goldman Sachs Impact Investing, Powell was responsible for a business with more than $4 billion in housing and community development investments across the United States.
In her role as president of the Goldman Sachs Foundation, Powell led one of the world's largest corporate foundations. Powell helped build and was responsible for all the Foundation's initiatives supporting and developing entrepreneurs around the world, including 10,000 Women and 10,000 Small Businesses
10,000 Small Businesses is a philanthropic initiative launched by Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation in November 2009 that pledges $500 million in various aid to small businesses in the United States, United Kingdom, and France. Th ...
.[ Note update at end of story regarding marital status.] 10,000 Women provides women entrepreneurs in developing countries with business education, access to capital and mentors. Under Powell, Goldman Sachs partnered with International Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset-management services to encourage private-sector development in less developed countries. The IFC is a member of t ...
and Overseas Private Investment Corporation
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) was the United States Government's Development finance institution until it merged with the Development Credit Authority (DCA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID ...
to raise 600 million dollars, to provide access to capital for more than 100,000 women worldwide. To realize this project, Powell worked closely with the State Department.[
Powell also led Goldman Sachs Gives, a fund established in 2007 and structured as a vehicle to consolidate Goldman Sachs partners' charitable giving.
During her time at Goldman Sachs, Powell joined the boards of directors or trustees of ]Harvard Kennedy School
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
's Social Enterprise Initiative, the American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo (AUC; ar, الجامعة الأمريكية بالقاهرة, Al-Jāmi‘a al-’Amrīkiyya bi-l-Qāhira) is a private research university in Cairo, Egypt. The university offers American-style learning programs ...
, the Center for Global Development
The Center for Global Development (CGD) is a nonprofit think tank based in Washington, D.C., and London that focuses on international development.
History
It was founded in November 2001 by former senior U.S. official Edward W. Scott, directo ...
, Vital Voices
Vital Voices Global Partnership is an American international, 501(c)(3), non-profit, non-governmental organization that works with women leaders in the areas of economic empowerment, women's political participation, and human rights. The organiz ...
, and the Nightingale-Bamford School
The Nightingale-Bamford School is an independent all-female university-preparatory school founded in 1920 by Frances Nicolau Nightingale and Maya Stevens Bamford. Located in Manhattan on the Upper East Side, Nightingale-Bamford is a member of th ...
.[ Powell is listed as a member of the ]Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, mi ...
and a member of the Trilateral Commission
The Trilateral Commission is a nongovernmental international organization aimed at fostering closer cooperation between Japan, Western Europe and North America. It was founded in July 1973 principally by American banker and philanthropist David ...
.
Powell has worked with Democrats such as Obama administration
Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took office following a decisive victory over Republican ...
advisors Valerie Jarrett
Valerie June Jarrett ( Bowman; born November 14, 1956) is an American businesswoman and former government official. She currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Obama Foundation. She previously served as the Senior Advisor to the Pre ...
and Gene Sperling
Eugene Benton Sperling (born December 24, 1958) is an American lawyer who was director of the National Economic Council and assistant to the president for economic policy under Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. He is the only person to s ...
.
Trump administration
Senior advisor
Powell had no relationship with the incoming President or his family until after the 2016 United States presidential election
The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...
.[ Powell received a call from ]Ivanka Trump
Ivana Marie "Ivanka" Trump (; born October 30, 1981) is an American businesswoman and the first daughter of Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. She was a senior advisor in his administration, and also was the ...
, who was interested in the metrics by which the success of 10,000 Women had been judged.[ She thus became involved with the incoming administration's transition period, particularly with regard to the empowerment of women and girls and the potential of female entrepreneurship.][
Starting January 20, 2017, Powell began serving as Senior Advisor to the President for Entrepreneurship, Economic Growth and the Empowerment of Women. In doing so she became one of the few Bush administration officials to join this new administration.] Powell relocated from New York City to Washington as part of taking this job.[Politico article on Dina and Ivanka ]
Powell intended to only join the administration for one year. As part of this change of path she became divested of her interest in Goldman Sachs.
Powell led a joint American-Canadian program to advance the role of women in business,[ making reference to what was formally called the United States-Canada Council for the Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.][ This effort involved Canadian Prime Minister ]Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
as well.[Patricia Garcia]
"Who Is Dina Powell? Ivanka Trump's Right-Hand Woman Is a Rising Star in the White House"
, ''Vogue'', April 19, 2017. Another Powell endeavor involved a listening session on the related topics of domestic and international human trafficking.[
Powell was visible outside that scope of her role when she was part of a meeting between the president and the Saudi defense minister ]Mohammed bin Salman
Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud ( ar, محمد بن سلمان آل سعود, translit=Muḥammad bin Salmān Āl Su‘ūd; born 31 August 1985), colloquially known by his initials MBS or MbS, is Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. H ...
.[ She subsequently shared responsibility for overseeing a $200 billion amount of U.S.-Saudi arms deals. She continued to assist Ivanka Trump.][ Powell's network of contacts in the financial, corporate, and governmental worlds was considered a valuable asset for the new administration] and she assisted in a few of the early hires.[
Even after being appointed deputy national security advisor in March 2017, Powell still spends 20 percent of her time in this, her initial role.][
In June 2017, Powell was a key advisor on a trip to Canada to improve economic issues with the nation.
Powell was on the ]short list
A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates (sometimes via intermediate lists known as "long lists"). The length of short lists varie ...
for White House Chief of Staff to replace Reince Priebus
Reinhold Richard Priebus ( ; born March 18, 1972) is an American lawyer and politician who served as White House Chief of Staff for President Donald Trump from January 20, 2017, until July 31, 2017. He also served as the chairman of the Republ ...
. Ivanka and her husband were pushing for Powell.["John Kelly, Asserting Authority, Fires Anthony Scaramucci"](_blank)
, three authors, ''The New York Times'' July 31, 2017. Reportedly the president was happy with Powell's performance so far and considered the idea, but in July 2017 chose Homeland Security Secretary
The United States secretary of homeland security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the federal department tasked with ensuring public safety in the United States. The secretary is a member of the Cabinet of the U ...
and former General John F. Kelly.
National Security Council
On March 15, 2017, Powell was named to the post of Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy,[ all the while retaining her economic position as well.][ The impetus for this assignment came from the recently named national security advisor, ]H. R. McMaster
Herbert Raymond McMaster (born July 24, 1962) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 25th United States National Security Advisor from 2017 to 2018. He is also known for his roles in the Gulf War, Operation Endurin ...
, who himself was responding to people outside the administration suggesting her name.[Jim Rutenberg, "'Morning Joe' Row Underscores Cable TV Fixation," New York Times, July 1, 2017. p. A13]
In April 2017 ''The New York Times'' labeled Powell a "rising star" in the national security establishment,[David E. Sanger]
"Who Was in the Room? These Advisers Joined Trump for the Syria Strike"
, ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', April 7, 2017. an appellation echoed by ''Vogue magazine
''Vogue'' is an American monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine that covers many topics, including haute couture fashion, beauty, culture, living, and runway. Based at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, ''Vogue ...
'',[ while the Associated Press wrote that "Dina Powell has quietly established herself as a White House power."][ Additionally, ''The Washington Post'' wrote that "she is one of the most interesting figures in the new administration."] In part this level of attention was because in that month, McMaster elevated the Deputy for Strategy position to a higher role within the NSC, meaning that Powell came to attend both the Principals Committee and National Security Council Deputies Committee.[ For her part, Powell assisted McMaster in his development of working relationships with various members of the Cabinet.] In addition, Powell attempted to guide McMaster on the best ways to have useful interchanges with the chief executive himself.[
Regarding the May 2017 report of a Donald Trump revelation of classified information to Russia, during which Powell was present in the room, she stated: "This story is false." However this soon-to-be infamous, unannounced meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador ]Sergey Kislyak
Sergey Ivanovich Kislyak ( rus, Серге́й Ива́нович Кисля́к, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ kʲɪˈslʲak; born 7 September 1950) is a Russian senior diplomat and politician. Since September 2017, he has represented Mo ...
was as it happened where Trump was later revealed to have disclosed Israeli intelligence. While she dissembled to cover up the president's error, he later admitted to having revealed these secrets.
She was among the top officials escorting the chief executive on his first foreign trip, which in May 2017 started with a two-day stay in Saudi Arabia. She had been heavily involved in the planning for the Middle Eastern portion of the trip.[ She was involved in several negotiations with Middle Eastern parties, where she was sometimes the only woman at the table.][ She also ensured that one of the headliner speeches made reference to ]women's rights in Saudi Arabia
Women's rights in Saudi Arabia are a topic of concern and controversy internationally. Saudi women have experienced major rights reforms since 2017, after facing religious fundamentalist dominance dating from 1979. According to Human Rig ...
.[ Powell's prior experience in government and her set of contacts in the Arab world played a key role in making the first part of the trip a successful venture, and she had done some of advance work prior to the trip.]
Powell was one of the key figures in securing the release of Egyptian aid worker Aya Hijazi.[ Beginning in June 2017, Powell involved U.S. efforts to free assorted American hostages held in countries overseas, particularly in agency of informing families. The following month she was one of those accompanying on the trip to Poland and Germany en toward the 2017 G20 Hamburg summit.
She then went to the Middle East on the next Kushner peace process trip. This took place in late August 2017 and also made the involvement of envoy ]Jason Greenblatt
Jason Dov Greenblatt (born 1967) is an American lawyer. He was the executive vice president and chief legal officer to Donald Trump and The Trump Organization, and his advisor on Israel. In January 2017, he was appointed as an Assistant to the Pres ...
. By this time the likes of Bannon and Gorka were gone from the White House while Powell was still an ascendant force there. The trip was viewed positively within the Administration, which continued to think that an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal was achievable. This was followed by a secret trip to the Middle East made by Kushner, Powell, and others. By November 2017 she was part of a "core four" drafting a plan for a comprehensive Middle East peace, along with Kushner, Greenblatt, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman. Given that the other three were Orthodox Jews
Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Jewish theology, Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Torah, Written and Oral Torah, Or ...
with various ties to Israel, Powell was the only native-born Egyptian.[
A major accomplishment of Powell in December 2017, was the completion of the administration's National Security Strategy document.] She worked on it intensively with McMaster and senior NSC staffer Nadia Schadlow
Nadia Catherine Schadlow (born c. 1965) is an American academic and defense-related government officer who briefly served in 2018 as Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy in the Trump Administration. She i ...
. In doing so they talked with numerous national security experts and stakeholders as well as gaining the buy-in of Cabinet-level officials.
Departure
On December 8, 2017, it was announced that Powell would be leaving the administration in early 2018, subsequently elaborated to be after a delayed vice presidential trip to the Middle East had been initiated. Powell planned to return to her life in New York, with a goal of spending more time with her family.
White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Sarah Elizabeth Huckabee Sanders (born August 13, 1982) is an American former political spokesperson and the governor-elect of Arkansas. She was the 31st White House press secretary, serving under President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2019. She ...
stated that Powell is a "trusted advisor", said that Powell had only ever planned to stay for a year, and indicated that Powell would "continue to support the President's agenda and work on Middle East policy."
Four administration officials indicated that the decision to leave really was hers. Several officials viewed her departure as a significant loss for the White House. NSC staffer Nadia Schadlow
Nadia Catherine Schadlow (born c. 1965) is an American academic and defense-related government officer who briefly served in 2018 as Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy in the Trump Administration. She i ...
was chosen to replace Powell.
Possibilities of returning
In October 2018, following the sudden resignation of Nikki Haley as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Powell was reported to be one of the leading candidates to replace her.[ Indeed, the President said so explicitly, that she was under consideration among others. The possibility of appointing Powell faced significant opposition from some within the Administration, including Bolton.][ Some of the arguments against her revolved around her globalist orientations, with the allegation that she was not fully aligned with the chief executive's "America First" approach.][ Also, Powell was reportedly leery of going through a likely contentious confirmation hearing before the United States Senate. Ultimately, Powell announced to friends the time was not right for her family or Goldman Sachs,] and by October 11 she told the White House that she was withdrawing from consideration.
However, after picked Heather Nauert
Heather Ann Nauert (born January 27, 1970) is an American broadcast journalist and former government official who served as Spokesperson for the United States Department of State in the Donald Trump administration from 2017 to 2019. She is a s ...
withdrew from consideration in February 2019 due to nanny issues, Powell's name once again emerged as a possible choice for the position. One report had her as one of the two leading candidates. However Kelly Knight Craft
Kelly Dawn Craft (; born February 24, 1962) is an American businesswoman, political donor, politician, and former diplomat who served as the United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2019 to 2021. Craft previously served as the United ...
was chosen and it was unclear if Powell was ever interested or in serious consideration.
Also around this time, Powell was also considered to become the first female president of the World Bank. She was also under consideration for White House Chief of Staff.
Harvard Kennedy School fellow
On February 12, 2018 it was announced that Powell would be joining the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
The Robert and Renée Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, also known as the Belfer Center, is a research center located within the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University, in the United States. From 2017 until his death in Oc ...
within the bounds of the Harvard Kennedy School
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
.[ Her mission would be to teach diplomacy and ideas and practices of foreign affairs,] and her capacity would be that of a non-residential senior fellow.[
]
Return to Goldman Sachs
Later in February 2018 it was announced that Powell would return to Goldman Sachs.[ The position would be on the firm's Management Committee.]
In the following years she was made Goldman’s global head of sustainability and inclusive growth.[ She was also made head of the firm's Sovereign Fund,][ a role that per the firm involves her being "responsible for helping build and enhance the firm’s relationships with global sovereign clients."
]
Second marriage and role in husband's career
By 2017, Dina and Richard Powell were no longer married.[
Instead, by 2018 Powell was engaged to financier and former government official ]David McCormick
David Harold McCormick (born August 17, 1965) is an American politician and businessman. McCormick served as the CEO of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world's largest hedge funds, from 2020 to 2022.
A member of the Republican Party, he was ...
. In 2019, she and McCormick were married.[https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/03/how-dina-powell-is-helping-david-mccormicks-senate-run.html] She then went by the name, sometimes, of Dina Powell McCormick.[ At that time David McCormick was under consideration for U.S. Secretary of Defense.] He did not get that position.
In 2022, however, David McCormick became a top contender for the Republican nomination in the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania. Powell became strongly involved, accompanying him to Mar-a-Lago
Mar-a-Lago ( from the Spanish for ''sea to lake'') is a resort and national historic landmark in Palm Beach, Florida, owned by former U.S. president Donald Trump. Trump acquired Mar-a-Lago in 1985 and referred to it as his "Winter White House" ...
in an attempt to secure an endorsement for him from her former boss, the former president.[https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/03/how-dina-powell-is-helping-david-mccormicks-senate-run.html] A number of other former administration officials were supporting McCormixk, but Powell was the most important of them. Powell's ties to the former president were considered crucial in potentially counteracting some negative remarks that McCormick had made about the formed president in the past. There were reports in the press, denied by some, that Powell hinted that McCormick's rival Dr. Oz would be unelectable due to his Muslim background.[ Some of those close to Powell expressed dismay that she would make such an argument, given her own background.] The couple also emphasized the fact of Oz's dual citizenship.[https://news.yahoo.com/dr-ozs-primary-challenger-wife-043523314.html] The efforts did not have success, as the endorsement went to Oz.[
The Republican primary election was extremely close and went to a recount phase, but in the end McCormick lost to Oz.][ref>https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/03/mccormick-concedes-to-oz-in-pennsylvania-gop-senate-primary.html#:~:text=Former%20hedge%20fund%20CEO%20David%20McCormick%20conceded%20the,McCormick%20said%20he%20had%20called%20Oz%20to%20concede.] Oz proceeded to lose the general election, and by some reports the former president blamed his own wife for leading him to endorse Oz in the primary.[https://news.yahoo.com/furious-trump-blaming-melania-urging-122302899.html]
Foundation chair
In October 2022, Powell was named the new chair of the Robin Hood Foundation
The Robin Hood Foundation is a charitable organization which attempts to alleviate problems caused by poverty in New York City. The organization also administers a relief fund for disasters in the New York City area. In 2010, a key supporter gave ...
, a venture philanthropy
Venture philanthropy is a type of impact investment that takes concepts and techniques from venture capital finance and business management and applies them to achieving philanthropic goals. The term was first used in 1969 by John D. Rockefeller I ...
that seeks to alleviate poverty in New York.[https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/20/robin-hood-foundation-picks-goldman-sachs-executive-dina-powell-mccormick-as-new-chair.html] She is to take the position effective early 2023.[ She had previously been vice chair of the fund, and helped it coordinate response to the ]COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the Uni ...
.[
]
Awards and honors
Dina Habib Powell was selected as one of the World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
's Young Global Leaders
Forum of Young Global Leaders, or Young Global Leaders (YGL), was created by Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum. The YGL, a non-profit organization managed from Geneva, Switzerland, is under the supervision of the Swiss government ...
.[ The selection happened sometime prior to or in 2010.
She received the Outstanding Young Texas Ex Award, associated with the University of Texas, in 2006.]
In 2007, Powell was presented with an American by Choice Award during a special naturalization ceremony performed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th Uni ...
; the award recognizes outstanding achievements of naturalized U.S. citizens.
In 2008, she received the inaugural Young Alumna Award from Ursuline Academy of Dallas.
In 2009, Powell was named a Great Immigrant by the Carnegie Corporation of New York
The Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic fund established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to support education programs across the United States, and later the world. Carnegie Corporation has endowed or otherwise helped to establis ...
for her role in public service and contributions to American life.
In 2017, she was the honored speaker for a State Department dinner in acknowledgment of the Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Women's Mentoring Partnership.[ At the same time '']Working Mother
''Working Mother'' was a magazine for working mothers launched in 1979 by Founding Publisher Milton Lieberman, who was succeeded by Carol Evans . The founding editor of the magazine was Vivian Cadden, who retired as editor in 1990. Subsequent edi ...
'' named her as one of the 50 Most Powerful Moms of 2017.
References
External links
Official NSC website
C-SPAN appearances
Profile page at Goldman Sachs – prior stint
* ttp://gotham-magazine.com/new-yorks-most-influential-women Style portrayal in ''Gotham'' magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Dina Habib
1973 births
American nonprofit chief executives
American people of Coptic descent
Philanthropists from New York (state)
American women civil servants
American women diplomats
Assistant Secretaries of State for Education and Culture
American diplomats
Counselors to the President
Egyptian people of Coptic descent
Egyptian emigrants to the United States
George W. Bush administration personnel
Goldman Sachs people
Living people
New York (state) Republicans
People from Dallas
People from Manhattan
People from Washington, D.C.
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Trump administration personnel
United States Assistant Secretaries of State
University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts alumni
American women chief executives
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