Replies

Emily Reynolds

Emily J. Reynolds was appointed Secretary of the Senate when the Senate convened on January 7 for the 108th Congress. Prior to her appointment as Secretary, Reynolds was the chief of staff for Senator Bill Frist. She is the thirty-first person, and the fifth woman, to serve as Secretary of the Senate.

Reynolds began her career in politics in 1980 as a special assistant to Senator Howard H.Baker, Jr. In 1985 she worked on the successful Senate campaign of then-Governor Kit Bond of Missouri. Subsequently Reynolds worked in seven statewide campaigns in six states, including the Senate campaigns of John Danforth, John Heinz, and Kay Bailey Hutchison. She joined the Bush/Quayle presidential campaign in 1992 as deputy director of national coalitions.

A native of Nashville, Reynolds returned to her home state of Tennessee in November 1993 to serve as deputy campaign manager and finance director for Dr. Frist’s Senate campaign. During Senator Frist’s first term in the Senate, Reynolds became his state director. She then managed his successful reelection campaign in 2000. As chief of staff for Senator Frist since January 2001, Reynolds supervised his Washington, D.C.and Tennessee offices.

Reynolds received a B.A. in political science and television/radio/film from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. Immediately following her graduation in 1978, she was named as the college's associate director of admissions. She has remained active with her alma mater and served on the board of curators and as chair of the alumnae development board.