February 25 – Constitutional Chats Podcast

Anita McBride is an internationally recognized expert on the legacies of American first ladies and operations of the White House. In 2023, she co-authored Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women, showcasing the evolving role of the first lady and its historical influence on the American presidency, politics, policy and global diplomacy. She also co-authored a first of its kind textbook, U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies, filling a critical gap in academic literature on the study of first ladies and their accomplishments. In 2024, she co-authored with her daughter a children’s book, First Ladies Make History, published by the White House Historical Association.

She is a founding member of the First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE), a national organization affiliated with American University’s School of Public Affairs, which promotes research and education about the lives, contributions, and lasting legacies of U.S. First Ladies. McBride also serves as executive-in-residence at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University where she leads (the First Ladies Initiative). She also serves as an advisor to the university’s Sine Institute for Policy and Politics.

McBride is a highly sought after speaker and media expert on first ladies, presidential transitions and White House operations and has appeared on all major network and cable news outlets and in national print media. She also has served as a consultant to HBO’s Emmy-award winning series, Veep.

McBride’s expertise on the White House and the influence of first ladies was acquired through her two decades of experience serving in senior roles under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush in the White House and U.S. Department of State. She is one of the longest-tenured women in White House history.

As Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush, she directed the first lady’s work on a wide range of global and domestic initiatives including education reform, literacy, women’s health, historic preservation, promotion of the arts and culture and stewardship of our national parks. She directed the first lady’s travels to 67 countries in four years to support the Administration’s U.S. foreign policy objectives in advancing democracy, global health, education and literacy, and women’s empowerment.

McBride has also focused on elevating the influence and impact of first ladies around the world. She co-founded the RAND African First Ladies Initiative and Fellowship program, now the Global First Ladies Alliance, partnering with first ladies to support their efforts as champions of change in their countries, as well as train their staff and advisors in strategies for managing an effective first lady’s office.

McBride is active in a number of organizations serving in leadership roles including as a board officer of the White House Historical Association where she Chairs the Association’s biannual Presidential Sites Summit – a convening of 200+ presidential historic sites from across the nation to promote civic education and the understanding and appreciation of presidential history. She also is a member of the US-Afghan Women’s Council; the International Republican Institute’s Women’s Democracy Network; and Vice Chair of the National Italian American Foundation where she serves as Co-Chair of the Government Relations committee. She is a founding advisor of RightNow Women PAC to support Republican women running for federal elective office and is a member of the Government Affairs committee of the United States Semiquincentennial Commission (America 250), the congressional entity established to help plan the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Additionally Anita serves on the Global Advisory Board to Libra Group, a global business group that includes 20 businesses focused on aerospace, renewable energy, maritime, real estate, hospitality and diversified investments.