White House official expected to depart, head up 2020 GOP convention

Marcia Lee Kelly, the White House director of management and administration, is leaving the Trump administration and is expected to join the 2020 Republican Party convention as its chief executive.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Kelly’s departure could be within days and could point to a larger shake-up of the Trump administration in preparation for his 2020 reelection bid. The White House confirmed both Kelly’s impending departure and her plans to chair the 2020 convention in an email to The Hill, but offered no further details.

{mosads}Kelly first joined the White House last year, shortly after Trump’s inauguration. She previously served as director of operations for the RNC’s 2016 convention in Cleveland, Ohio. She also served as a consultant for the 2012 convention in Tampa.

The 2020 convention is set to be held in Charlotte, N.C. 

With her impending appointment as chief executive, Kelly will become the first Asian-American to hold such a position for a major political party in the U.S., a White House official told the Journal.

GOP chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel announced the 2020 venue in July, while adding that the party expected to re-nominate both President Trump and Vice President Pence.

“I am thrilled to announce Charlotte as the official host city for the 2020 Republican National Convention. We look forward to seeing the Queen City take center stage as the Republican Party re-nominates President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to continue fighting for the American people,” McDaniel said earlier this year.