Stephen K. Benjamin
Steve Benjamin | |
|---|---|
Benjamin in August 2023 | |
| Senior Advisor to the President for Public Engagement | |
| In office April 1, 2023 – January 20, 2025 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Keisha Lance Bottoms |
| Succeeded by | Jim Goyer (as Director of the Office of Public Liaison) |
| Director of the Office of Public Engagement | |
| In office April 1, 2023 – January 20, 2025 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Principal Deputy | Jamie Citron |
| Preceded by | Keisha Lance Bottoms |
| Succeeded by | Jim Goyer |
| 70th Mayor of Columbia | |
| In office July 1, 2010 – January 4, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Coble |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Rickenmann |
| 76th President of the United States Conference of Mayors | |
| In office May 7, 2018 – July 1, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Mitch Landrieu |
| Succeeded by | Bryan Barnett |
| Director of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services | |
| In office January 13, 1999 – January 15, 2003 | |
| Governor | Jim Hodges |
| Preceded by | Stephen Bernie |
| Succeeded by | Joan Meacham |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Stephen Keith Benjamin December 1, 1969 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | DeAndrea Gist |
| Education | University of South Carolina (BA, JD) |
Stephen Keith Benjamin (born December 1, 1969) is an American politician and businessman. He is Operating Partner for local Communities with Investcorp Corsair Infrastructure Partners, a partnership between Corsair Capital and Investcorp.
Benjamin formerly served 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 from April 1, 2023, to January 20, 2025. 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. Benjamin served as the 76th president of the United States Conference of Mayors from 2018 to 2019.