Candace Randle Person – Board Treasurer

Candace Randle Person is an award-winning PR professional with over 15 years of experience and expertise in communications and public relations, which she leverages in her current role as Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Communications for the Office of Congressman Adriano Espaillat of New York’s 13th congressional district, which includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill, and the north-west Bronx.

Previously, Candace held a similar role with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), where she served as the Director of Communications and National Media. Prior to the CBC, Candace worked as the Director of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs for The RLJ Companies where she developed a series of multi-tiered communications strategies to promote the company and its chairman, Robert L. Johnson (founder of Black Entertainment Television – BET), and the diverse business operations within the RLJ corporate portfolio. Her career highlights include having served as part of the political team for Hillary Clinton, as a campaign writer and briefer for Al Gore, as well as an aide in the United States Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and in the Office of the Governor for her home state of Arkansas.

During her career, Candace has worked extensively in the political, public affairs, and media arenas, and has earned coverage in some of today’s foremost leading news outlets that include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, CNN, FORTUNE Magazine, Forbes, Univision, the BBC and The Washington Post. She has been recognized by PRWeek, one of the industry’s top trade publications as one of its “40 Under 40: New Trailblazers” (2013); The Network Journal as a “40 Under Forty” Achievement Award recipient (2014); she has been featured in the High Profile section of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette (2014) for her work in politics and public affairs; and recognized by ESSENCE magazine as a D.C. Power Player (2014).

Candace graduated with leadership honors from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and History, and she received a Master of Public Administration (MPA), summa cum laude, from the Institute of Government at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She currently resides in Maryland with her husband and their twins.