Mayor Johnson announces 1 promotion, 1 appointment to Senior Staff

CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Thursday one promotion and one appointment to his Senior Staff.

Ronnie Reese has been promoted from Press Secretary to Communications Director, while Joe Calvello has been hired as Chief Strategy Officer in the Office of the Mayor.

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“Ronnie has been an effective spokesperson and a trusted communications advisor for
this administration, and I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure that the
people of Chicago understand our priorities,” Mayor Johnson said in a news release.

“Joe is a Chicago-area native who brings a breadth of experience and expertise to our administration and will be instrumental in guiding our strategic vision for the City of Chicago.”

Here is more on each:

Ronnie Reese

A Chicago native, Reese has served as Mayor Johnson’s Press Secretary since Inauguration Day. Prior to joining the administration, Reese was the Communications Director and Press Secretary for Johnson’s 2023 mayoral campaign.

“Since day-one of this administration, it has been a tremendous honor to serve the people
of our city and be a part of the remarkable progress we are making in investing in Chicago’s
families and communities,” Reese said in the release.

“I look forward to continuing to work with Mayor Johnson and our brilliant team of directors, deputy mayors, commissioners and others to bring our message directly to the people of Chicago on how we are building a better, stronger, safer Chicago for all.”

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Before working on Mayor Johnson’s campaign, Reese spent more than a decade as the Digital Director and Deputy Press Secretary for the Chicago Teachers Union.

Reese holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Joe Calvello

Born and raised in Chicago’s western suburbs, Calvello returns to the area after most recently working for the campaign of U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.). Calvello was the Director of Communications for both the now-Senator’s 2022 campaign and in Fetterman’s U.S. Senate office.

“It’s an absolute honor and a privilege to come to Chicago and serve the people of this great
city,” Calvello said in the release. “Mayor Johnson is a true progressive who is committed to fighting for the working people and families of the City of Chicago, and I am deeply honored to join his administration and get to work.

“I am going to be laser-focused on driving the mayor’s vision for the City of Chicago, a vision that will cement Chicago as a city that truly works for everyone.”

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Before working for Fetterman, Calvello served as the Western Press Secretary for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign and was Deputy Communications Director on Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s 2018 campaign. Additionally, Calvello also served as Associate Director of State Media for Planned Parenthood of America during the 2020 general election.

Calvello earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

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