Congresswoman Lee Honors Chief of Staff of Over Two Decades
Congresswoman Barbara Lee released a statement on the retirement of her Chief of Staff of over 20 years, Julie Nickson.
“For two decades, Julie Nickson has been one of my most trusted and valued advisors,” said Congresswoman Lee. “She is a tremendous leader and public servant who has guided my office and me through several of the most historic events, from ending forever wars abroad to the ongoing battle against COVID-19. My gratitude to her and her family is unending, and I look forward to honoring her service this week as she begins her transition to the next chapter in her career.
“My staff and I will miss Julie tremendously and her departure is bittersweet. I am so happy that she will step into her calling at the American Cancer Society working to cure cancer. I will miss her brilliance, her passion, and her dedicated public service.
“I am excited to announce that Joyce Kazadi, an alumnus of the Biden-Harris administration, will serve as my new Chief of Staff. Joyce has extensive operational experience and has built a career as aiding change-makers and groundbreaking organizations, with consistent success developing operations and programs from the ground up; and managing change initiatives. We welcome her to Team Lee, and I look forward to continuing to work hard for the constituents of California’s 13th district.”
Joyce Kazadi previously served as the Director of Scheduling and Advance for USAID Administrator Samantha Power, where she oversaw the execution of the Administrator’s daily operations and trip planning. Prior to that, she served as a Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff to the Vice President of the United States in the White House. Before joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Kazadi was then-Senator Kamala Harris’ Director of Advance for her presidential campaign, making her the first Black woman to hold this position on a major presidential campaign.