The Office of Communications (OCOM) handles all Office of Justice Programs' (OJP's) congressional, legislative, and media-related activities to ensure effective communications with Congress, the news media, and the public.
About OCOM
OCOM works with members of Congress, congressional committees, and congressional staff on legislation, policies, and issues that affect OJP, its program offices, and the criminal justice community. This includes tracking legislation, responding to congressional requests, and providing guidance to the Department of Justice and OJP regarding pending legislation.
OCOM publishes news releases and other information and also works with the news media to keep them informed about OJP programs and activities. The staff also responds to media requests, arranges interviews with OJP officials, and news conferences to announce important programs or research findings.
Resources
OJP News Center
OCOM Student Internships
OCOM Leadership
Katherine Brown
Acting Director
About Katherine
Katherine managed communications for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement. She has 15 years of federal government experience leading strategic communications, innovative communication solutions, social media, and public engagement. Katherine served as a leader and spokesperson for NASA who was responsible for the integration of communication efforts for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, including enhancing and supporting education in science, technology, engineering and math in underrepresented communities. Katherine created NASA’s first education report to showcase the vital investments the agency made to build a diverse STEM workforce. She developed NASA policy aimed to energize the workforce to reach out to communities and students underserved in STEM. Brown created NASA’s “Surprisingly STEM” YouTube series, which was the highest-viewed videos on the NASA STEM YouTube and received pick up from PBS. Katherine has led many White House STEM events for NASA including an event at Vice President Harris’s residence to connect NASA and Disney Pixar, including astronaut participation and outreach to local students. Katherine also led engagement efforts with other notable partnerships, such as: LEGO, Minecraft, Girl Scouts of America, Crayola, NOGGIN and Google. She has a passion for fostering innovation and inclusiveness in teams to achieve the shared goal of inspiring the next generation. She was awarded NASA’s Agency Honor Award in 2020.
In her previous roles, Brown built from the ground up the awarding-winning, first-of-its-kind social care branch, @AskTSA, based on issues of importance to TSA. Brown was a social media manager for the customer service team, which was recognized by the White House for ingenuity and innovation. Brown provided strategic communications plan and social media guidance for the TSA. Brown instituted and established the Pentagon Inspector General’s first creative service team, which provided graphic and multimedia support to the entire agency. The brand she created in 2012 is still used today.
Prior to her federal service career, Brown received her Bachelors in Arts from the University of Georgia and her Masters in Medical Illustration from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
OCOM Contacts
For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact ojpmedia@usdoj.gov.
For congressional inquiries, please get in touch with ojpcongressional@usdoj.gov.
Main Line/Media and Congressional Inquiries: 202-307-0703