Erica
Jefferson
Leadership Role
Associate Commissioner for External Affairs - Office of External Affairs
Erica Jefferson is the Associate Commissioner for External Affairs (OEA) within the Office of the Commissioner at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In this role, Ms. Jefferson oversees agency-wide communications activities regarding the FDA’s public health and regulatory activities. This includes the development, coordination and leadership of all FDA communications as well as outreach efforts to the news media, health professionals, patient advocates, industry, states, consumer groups and the general public. OEA also serves as the focal point for speechwriting, creative and editorial services, and best practices for the agency for digital and web technology and social media.
Ms. Jefferson has more than 17 years of progressive communications, patient advocacy and public affairs experience across the federal government, professional association and private sector industries. She previously served at the FDA as the Acting Assistant Commissioner for Media Affairs. Prior to joining the agency, she held positions of increasing responsibility at a boutique crisis communications agency, a health care professional society and a leading biotechnology company. Before returning to the agency, Ms. Jefferson worked in communications and public affairs leadership roles at several clinical and commercial stage biotechnology companies focused on developing novel therapeutics for various diseases.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a minor in Sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park and master’s degree in Health Communication from The Johns Hopkins University.