Former National Security Council Official and Long Time Aide to Former Vice President Pence to Bring a Breadth of Experience to the Growing Company
GLENDALE, Calif. — The KAIROS Company, one of America’s leading bespoke communications consultancies, is pleased to announce the addition of Sarah Makin as the company’s Senior Vice President.
With the addition of Makin, KAIROS will be establishing “The Makin Group” within its portfolio to serve a unique type of clientele. Makin will also serve as The KAIROS Company’s resident expert on government and international affairs.
“Sarah is a tested, seasoned, and strategic-minded public relations, national security, and policy specialist with experience working in high-intensity political and official government environments including the White House, presidential campaigns, various Congressional offices, and national non-profit advocacy organizations,” said Johnnie Moore, founder of The KAIROS Company. “Her breadth of experience adds tremendous expertise to our growing company.”
Makin comes to KAIROS having worked between Capitol Hill and the White House for the better part of two decades in areas that have profoundly impacted domestic and foreign policy.
In January 2021, Sarah concluded four years of service in the White House where she most recently served as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Strategic Engagement on the National Security Council (NSC). In that capacity, Makin oversaw strategic and public engagement opportunities for the NSC, as well as managed a wide range of national security policy areas including: democracy and human rights; Women, Peace, and Security; the President’s Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative; combatting human trafficking; genocide and atrocity monitoring, prevention, and recovery; foreign assistance and international development; religiously and ethnically motivated acts of terrorism; and international religious freedom. In 2020, Makin was also selected to serve as Senior Advisor to the President on International Religious Freedom, becoming the first to fill the role since it was authorized in 1998 by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). In her role, Makin worked to promote religious freedom worldwide, ensure that religious freedom violations were considered when crafting US foreign policy, and amplified the plight of persecuted religious minorities around the world. In each role, Makin worked alongside the President’s domestic policy and national security team, and officials from across the government, on issues impacting the national security interests of the United States.
From 2017-2020, Sarah served as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Strategic Outreach, Public Liaison, and Intergovernmental Affairs to Vice President Mike Pence. In these roles, Makin served as the Vice President’s primary line of communication with civil society, prominent individuals, business and thought-leaders, conservative constituencies, and elected officials. She worked to activate, connect, and empower key constituencies and communities to advance and support the Administration’s goals and strategic objectives.
During her tenure at the White House, Makin also represented the President and Vice President on official diplomatic missions to the Middle East and Africa, including multiple visits to Iraq to advance the President’s objective to resettle and secure minority faith communities – including Yazidi and Christian communities – who were devastated by ISIS’s genocide campaign. Makin was honored to oversee the life-changing work accomplished by reputable and effective faith-based and secular non-governmental organizations receiving support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Prior to working in the White House, Ms. Makin served Vice President Pence on the 2016 presidential campaign, and on the Presidential transition team. She previously worked as Vice President for a public affairs firm, and as an independent consultant, following many years as a trusted staffer on Capitol Hill. Her Hill positions included Director of Conservative Coalitions and State Outreach for the House Republican Study Committee (Chairman Steve Scalise); Coalitions Director and Senior Policy Advisor for the House Republican Conference (Chairmen Jeb Hensarling and Mike Pence); Professional Staff Member for the House Republican Study Committee (Chairman Jeb Hensarling); and Senior Advisor and Legislative Aide to Representative Randy Forbes.
“More important than even Sarah’s wide-ranging experience is the fact that she aligns precisely with the unique culture and values of our growing consultancy,” said Moore. “I’ve admired her for years and I worked frequently with her during her tenure at The White House. I could not be more thrilled to bring to bear her talents on behalf of our many clients across various sectors.”
