Brianna Willis

Director

When Brianna first began writing and delivering speeches in high school, she didn’t just find a fun extracurricular activity to participate in; she also found her dream career.

Since then, Brianna, who is a proud, South Side Chicago native, has channeled her passion for speechwriting and public speaking to help others make their messages memorable, impactful, and accessible. As a Director at West Wing Writers, Brianna helps leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors make a statement — and advance meaningful change.

Prior to joining West Wing Writers, Brianna served as Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot’s Senior Speechwriter. In that role, Brianna led a speechwriting team during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — helping the Mayor’s team respond to the pandemic’s immediate impact and the disproportionate toll it took on Chicago’s communities of color. She was also instrumental in guiding the city’s messaging as it both addressed the racial reckoning spurred by the murder of George Floyd and rolled out policy changes to advance racial equity in Chicago.

Brianna is a mentor to students at Chicagoland’s colleges and universities, helping them refine their public speaking and speechwriting skills for both personal growth and professional success. She coaches the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Speech Team — and cheers on the Speech Team at her alma mater, Northwestern University, where she received a B.A. with honors in Political Science.

Previously, Brianna wrote for the Obama Foundation and Bully Pulpit Interactive. She is also an alum of West Wing Writers’ internship program.

Currently, Brianna lives in Washington, DC with her cat, Clementine, and enjoys yoga, gaming, and getting lost in a good book or podcast.