Stephen K. Benjamin

Steve Benjamin
Benjamin in August 2023
Senior Advisor to the President
for Public Engagement
Assumed office
April 1, 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byKeisha Lance Bottoms
Director of the
Office of Public Engagement
Assumed office
April 1, 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
Principal DeputyJamie Citron
Preceded byKeisha Lance Bottoms
70th Mayor of Columbia
In office
July 1, 2010 – January 4, 2022
Preceded byBob Coble
Succeeded byDaniel Rickenmann
76th President of the United States Conference of Mayors
In office
May 7, 2018 – July 1, 2019
Preceded byMitch Landrieu
Succeeded byBryan Barnett
Director of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services
In office
January 13, 1999 – January 15, 2003
GovernorJim Hodges
Preceded byStephen Bernie
Succeeded byJoan Meacham
Personal details
Born
Stephen Keith Benjamin

(1969-12-01) December 1, 1969 (age 54)
New York City, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseDeAndrea Gist
EducationUniversity of South Carolina (BA, JD)

Stephen Keith Benjamin (born December 1, 1969) is an American politician and businessman currently serving as the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement for the Biden administration, and also as one of the senior advisors to President Biden since April 1, 2023. He previously served as the 70th mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, from July 2010 to January 2022. He was the first African American mayor in the city's history. Before serving as mayor, he worked in the Columbia metropolitan area as an attorney and served on various charitable organizations.

On November 8, 2017, Benjamin won re-election for a third term as mayor with no votes as no other candidate filed. Benjamin was declared re-elected.[1] Benjamin served as the 76th president of the United States Conference of Mayors from 2018 to 2019.[2]

  1. ^ "Dubious new distinction for Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin". Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  2. ^ United States Conference of Mayors. "Congratulations to @SteveBenjaminSC, the 76th President of the United States Conference of Mayors!". Retrieved May 7, 2018.