Leah Katz-Hernandez is a communications professional and inclusion advocate. She was the first

deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an Audiology, audiological condition. In this context it ...

person to serve as Receptionist of the United States.

Biography

Katz-Hernandez attended the

American School for the Deaf The American School for the Deaf (ASD), originally ''The American Asylum, At Hartford, For The Education And Instruction Of The Deaf'', is the oldest permanent school for the deaf in the United States, and the first school for children with disa ...

and the

Maryland School for the Deaf The Maryland School for the Deaf (MSD) provides free public education to deaf and hard-of-hearing Maryland residents of age 0 to 21 years. Maryland School for the Deaf has two campuses in Frederick and Columbia, Maryland. History The school was ...

. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from

Gallaudet University Gallaudet University ( ) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. It was founded in 1864 as a grammar school for both deaf and blind children. It was the first sc ...

in 2010 and a Master of Arts degree in Strategic Communication from

American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...

in 2016. She was a volunteer for President Obama's first presidential campaign in 2008 and an intern for his re-election campaign in 2012. Katz-Hernandez worked as First Lady Michelle Obama's press assistant and research associate after which she served as Receptionist of the United States making her the first deaf person to hold this position. As of 2021, Katz-Hernandez is Manager of CEO Communications for

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Katz-Hernandez, Leah Gallaudet University alumni American University alumni Obama administration personnel Year of birth missing (living people) Living people