Karna Bodman-Turning White House Experience into International Thrillers

Karna will be telling us about her six years serving as Deputy Press Secretary and later as Senior Director and Spokesperson for the National Security Council. Although she had written TV news scripts, briefing papers for the President, newspaper columns and articles, she had always wanted to write novels. She will also introduce us to her fifth novel, Trust But Verify.

Questions ??? Contact Susan Koeppel, mkoep@aol.com

More information about Karna Bodman,Karna began her career in San Francisco as a TV news reporter and anchor first for KRON-TV and then KGO-TV. She later moved to Washington, D.C., to anchor the ten o’clock news on Channel 5, host a nationally syndicated program on business and economic issues as well as a three-hour news/talk radio show.

When Ronald Reagan was elected President, he stood in front of Blair House and names Jim Brady as his Press Secretary with Karna as Jim’s Deputy. She had almost daily meetings with the President and travelled on Air Force One. She was also sent to South America and the Far East to give speeches to government, business, and student groups on the President’s economic priorities.

Next, she was named Senior Director and spokesperson for the National Security Council. She attended arms control talks with the Soviets and traveled with the team that briefed the leaders of Great Britain, France, and Italy, as well as Pope John Paul II. Those were “evil empire” days, so it was a unique experience to chat with the Soviet Union’s General Secretary Gorbachev at that first Summit meeting in Geneva.

When Karna left the White House to become Senior Vice President of a public affairs firm, she was the highest-ranking woman on the White House staff.