Dana Perino
- Writer
- Producer
- Actress
Perino was born in Evanston, Wyoming, and grew up in Denver, Colorado.
She attended Ponderosa High School in Parker, Colorado, a suburb of
Denver. Perino graduated from the University of Southern Colorado (now
known as Colorado State University-Pueblo) in 1994 with a bachelor's
degree in mass communications and minors in both political science and
Spanish. While attending the university, Perino was active on the
debate team and with KTSC-TV, the campus-based PBS affiliate where she
served as host of Capitol Journal, a weekly summary of Colorado
politics, and producer of Standoff, a weekly public affairs program.
From there, Perino attended graduate school at the University of
Illinois at Springfield (UIS). Perino obtained her masters at UIS in
Public Affairs Reporting while also working as a daily reporter
covering the Illinois Capitol for WCIA-TV, a CBS affiliate.
Perino then went on to work in Washington, D.C., for Representative
Scott McInnis (R, retired) of Colorado as
a staff assistant before serving nearly four years as the press
secretary for Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO-Retired), who then chaired a
House Commerce subcommittee on Energy and Power.
After Representative Schaefer announced his retirement, Perino moved to
England to marry businessman Peter McMahon. After a year in England,
Perino and McMahon moved back to the United States and resided in San
Diego, California, for three years. During that time, Perino worked in
the field of high-tech public affairs.
In November 2001, Perino returned to Washington, D.C. to serve as a
spokesperson for the Department of Justice. Several months later, she
was asked to join the White House where she served as the Director of
Communications for the White House Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ). By statute, the CEQ oversees the implementation of the National
Environmental Policy Act, where all federal agencies must complete
environmental assessments on their activities before they take action.
On March 31, 2006, President
George W. Bush named Perino as Deputy
Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary. In the role,
Perino communicated many times a day with the President's director of
communications, his press secretary and his director of media affairs,
handling all environment-related media calls for the White House, as
well as serving as the spokesperson for the White House on
environmental issues. In addition, she served as the coordinator for
all agencies on environment, energy and natural resource issues, as
well as reviewing and approving the agencies' major announcements,
while keeping the other White House offices apprised of CEQ actions.
She attended Ponderosa High School in Parker, Colorado, a suburb of
Denver. Perino graduated from the University of Southern Colorado (now
known as Colorado State University-Pueblo) in 1994 with a bachelor's
degree in mass communications and minors in both political science and
Spanish. While attending the university, Perino was active on the
debate team and with KTSC-TV, the campus-based PBS affiliate where she
served as host of Capitol Journal, a weekly summary of Colorado
politics, and producer of Standoff, a weekly public affairs program.
From there, Perino attended graduate school at the University of
Illinois at Springfield (UIS). Perino obtained her masters at UIS in
Public Affairs Reporting while also working as a daily reporter
covering the Illinois Capitol for WCIA-TV, a CBS affiliate.
Perino then went on to work in Washington, D.C., for Representative
Scott McInnis (R, retired) of Colorado as
a staff assistant before serving nearly four years as the press
secretary for Rep. Dan Schaefer (R-CO-Retired), who then chaired a
House Commerce subcommittee on Energy and Power.
After Representative Schaefer announced his retirement, Perino moved to
England to marry businessman Peter McMahon. After a year in England,
Perino and McMahon moved back to the United States and resided in San
Diego, California, for three years. During that time, Perino worked in
the field of high-tech public affairs.
In November 2001, Perino returned to Washington, D.C. to serve as a
spokesperson for the Department of Justice. Several months later, she
was asked to join the White House where she served as the Director of
Communications for the White House Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ). By statute, the CEQ oversees the implementation of the National
Environmental Policy Act, where all federal agencies must complete
environmental assessments on their activities before they take action.
On March 31, 2006, President
George W. Bush named Perino as Deputy
Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary. In the role,
Perino communicated many times a day with the President's director of
communications, his press secretary and his director of media affairs,
handling all environment-related media calls for the White House, as
well as serving as the spokesperson for the White House on
environmental issues. In addition, she served as the coordinator for
all agencies on environment, energy and natural resource issues, as
well as reviewing and approving the agencies' major announcements,
while keeping the other White House offices apprised of CEQ actions.