WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald J. Trump on Friday announced that Yellowhammer Founder and CEO Cliff Sims will be taking a senior role in his incoming administration as Special Assistant to the President and Director of White House Message Strategy.
Sims founded Yellowhammer as his personal blog roughly five years ago and grew it into the state’s most influential media brand, with millions of monthly readers and listeners online and on the radio. He took a leave of absence last year to join the Trump campaign as communications advisor.
In his new job, Sims will take the lead in crafting the messaging coming out of the West Wing.
“It is an incredible honor to be asked to work in the White House and I look forward to serving the President and the country in this role,” Sims said.
Incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said Sims will “play a key role in supporting President-elect Trump’s America-first agenda.”
Sims will resign as Yellowhammer’s chief executive officer effective on inauguration day. Yellowhammer’s chief business development officer, Brian Ellis, has been named acting CEO.
“Cliff’s vision and leadership have been an indispensable part of Yellowhammer’s growth to this point,” said Ellis.
“He will be missed, but his passion for the state of Alabama and Yellowhammer’s mission to be the go-to source of news and commentary for the entire state are deeply engrained in our company’s DNA. We have an incredible team in place and look forward to building on the foundation that has been laid.”
Sims joins several other Alabamians in taking high profile positions in the Trump administration. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) appears on track to be confirmed as US Attorney General, Sessions’ former chief of staff Rick Dearborn will be Deputy White House Chief of Staff and Sessions’ former communications director, Stephen Miller, will be Senior Advisor to the President for Policy.
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