Ditas Katague

Former Associate Director for Communications and Engagement at the U.S. Census Bureau

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ditas-katague/

Ditas is an accomplished board member, Chief of staff, and senior communications leader with a 30+ year career building private/public partnerships and intergovernmental relationships and is an expert in multi-ethnic trust building and outreach. She is an innovative data-first leader, most recently Associate Director for Communications and Engagement at the U.S. Census Bureau appointed by President Biden.

She led the internal and external communications for the nation’s largest statistical agency including oversight of marketing, public affairs, congressional and intergovernmental affairs, customer service, stakeholder engagement, and media relations. She developed a stakeholder engagement framework and logic model to help organizations determine the most strategic approach to invest limited resources to build coalitions and engage key audiences. She has led teams of over 200 and budgets of $200M, served as three-time state director of the decennial census, the most successful statewide non-partisan grassroots communication program.

Ditas is a visionary strategist with a unique ability to reach underserved populations by leveraging technology to build trusted partnerships. She has a background in regulatory oversight, organizational communication, external affairs, media, data collection, and data integrity. She has policy experience in energy, public utilities, broadband, electricity/gas industries, climate change, renewables, telecom, water, transportation, housing, mortgage lending, and community development.

She has served as Chair of the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations, to the US Census Bureau, and has served 25+ years on the USC Advisory Board for the Sol Price School of Public Policy Sacramento Center.

As Chief of Staff at the CA Public Utilities Commission, which serves over 39 million residents she oversaw advisors, implemented infrastructure and environmental justice efforts in rulemaking.

As Chief Deputy Commissioner of the CA Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, she led the day-to-day operations of the state regulator with over 200 employees and a $100M budget. Earlier in her career she served as the First VP of Government Relations at Countrywide Financial.

She speaks frequently on the topics of political inclusion, data stewardship, Change Leadership, trust building & outreach to vulnerable populations. Ditas is meditation and yoga teacher and an artist (www.grievingthruglee.com). She is also a first-generation, daughter of Filipino immigrants, and community organizer.