Karen Finney to Keynote WWPR’s 37th Woman of the Year Celebration and Join Ashley Allison for Fireside Chat
CNN political commentator and veteran communications strategist Karen Finney will be the keynote speaker at the Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) 37th Woman of the Year celebration, Friday, October 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at The Potomac Hotel, Autograph Collection (formerly Salamander DC). Finney will address leadership, influence, and communicating with credibility in a changing media landscape.
Finney is a political commentator for CNN and co-host of The Prep Session with Maria Cardona and Karen Finney, a podcast examining the intersection of politics, media, culture, and strategy. She previously hosted Disrupt with Karen Finney on MSNBC and Represent Our Voice on TV One. Her commentary and writing have appeared in The Washington Post, TIME, CNN Opinion, The Daily Beast, and U.S. News & World Report.
Her career spans politics, government, corporate leadership, education, and advocacy. She was the first African American Communications Director and spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, and later served as senior adviser and senior spokesperson for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Earlier in her career, she served as Deputy Press Secretary to First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Press Secretary for Clinton’s 2000 U.S. Senate campaign, and Deputy Director of Presidential Scheduling for President Bill Clinton. Beyond politics, Finney served as Chief of Staff to the CEO of Scholastic Inc., and as Communications Director and Chief Spokesperson for the New York City Board of Education, including in the aftermath of September 11.
Today, Finney advises candidates, elected officials, nonprofits, corporations, foundations, and mission-driven leaders on strategic communications, crisis management, executive positioning, and public affairs. She also contributed to the successful campaign that helped secure WNBA star Brittney Griner’s release from Russian detention. Finney is Co-Founder and Co-Chair of One Million Black Voters Rising, Co-Convener of the Black Women’s Leadership Collective, and serves on the boards of End Citizens United, Power Rising, and UltraViolet.
Following the keynote, Finney will join Ashley Allison, publisher of The Root and founder and CEO of Watering Hole Media, for “Closing the Trust Gap.” Their fireside chat will explore independent journalism, disinformation, and how media and communications leaders can build trust with fragmented audiences. The conversation is part of this year’s theme, “The Trust Gap: Leadership, Influence, and Truth in a Fragmented World.”
At WWPR’s 37th Woman of the Year celebration, October 23, WWPR will honor three finalists and announce the 2026 Woman of the Year. Learn more about the finalists and event at wwpr.org/events/woman-of-the-year-award-celebration.
