Getty Hope Hicks.
Paul and Caye Hicks, the parents of Donald Trump’s outgoing Communications Director Hope Hicks, both have backgrounds in politics – for different political parties – and come from families that worked in public relations for years.
Hope’s father, Paul Hicks, worked for the NFL.
At only 28, Hope Hicks was widely regarded as one of President Trump’s most trusted – and enigmatic – confidantes. She replaced Anthony Scaramucci as Comm Director, but it’s now been announced that she will resign the White House job.
Previously director of strategic communications for the White House, she worked in PR for the Trump Organization and Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, before moving into the president’s campaign PR team, where she carefully guarded access to Trump. Hicks is a former child model from Greenwich, Connecticut.
With the increased spotlight, people are interested in learning more about her father and mother.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Both of Hicks’ Parents Worked in Politics Early On but For Opposite Political Parties
Although their daughter has forged a career working for a Republican president, her parents started out on warring sides of the political aisle.
According to their 1982 wedding announcement in The New York Times, the former Caye Ann Cavender was a “legislative aide for Representative Ed Jones, Democrat of Tennessee” when she marred Paul Burton Hicks, “a legislative assistant to Representative Stewart B. McKinney, Republican of Connecticut.”
McKinney was “a well-known Republican in lower Fairfield County who served in Congress for 17 years. Her parents met by chance when they were both working in Washington, and both were guests in 1981 at a speech by President Ronald Reagan to a joint session of Congress,” according to Courant.com.
The Courant added, “Hicks approached his future wife and asked if she was incorrectly sitting in his seat. They immediately hit it off, and got married the following year in Greenwich.”
You can see more photos of the parents here and here and here.
2. Both Paul & Caye Hicks Come From Families Steeped in Public Relations Work
The families have a long history of working in PR dating back another generation.
According to the wedding announcement, Caye’s father, G.W. Franklin Cavender, was the “retired director of communications of the Institute of Agriculture at the University of Tennessee,” and “previously served as an assistant administrator with the Department of Agriculture in Washington.” Caye’s mother, Marilee B. Cavender, “was a former consumer-affairs specialist for the Department of Transportation.” Caye herself attended the University of Tennessee.
As for Paul Hicks, the wedding announcement said that he was the son of Paul B. Hicks Jr. and Lucile Hicks of Greenwich. He attended the University of Virginia, and his mother was an artist and his father was “vice president and general manager in charge of public relations and advertising for Texaco Inc.,” reported the announcement.
3. Paul Hicks Worked for Roger Goodell & Now Is Managing Partner at a PR Firm
Hope’s father once had a prominent communications job with the NFL. He’s now the managing director of a PR firm.
Paul Hicks “is a Managing Director with The Glover Park Group with over two decades of senior communications and sports experience. Paul works with GPG professionals to craft custom solutions for Strategic Communications clients,” reads the bio for his current job with the PR firm, which he joined in 2015.
“Prior to joining GPG, Paul was the Executive Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs for the National Football League. Reporting directly to Commissioner Roger Goodell, Paul led the communications, public affairs and social responsibility functions for the league over a five-year period that included a new collective bargaining agreement, several new television commitments, including the launch of Thursday Night Football, and several high profile social responsibility issues,” the bio says.
“Before joining the NFL in 2010, Paul was the Regional CEO of the Americas for Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. Paul helped lead 500-plus professionals deliver effective client solutions across two regions and eleven different offices,” reports the bio.
4. Paul Hicks Had a Brief Career in Local Politics
For a time, after leaving Washington, Paul Hicks focused on local service.
“After finishing as a Congressional staffer, Paul Hicks was elected to the board of selectmen in Greenwich in the late 1980s as part of a trio that longtime residents still remember,” reported Courant.com. Hicks was only 30 at the time, according to the newspaper.
He had a future in politics, many people thought, but he gave it up for PR.
“When serving on the Greenwich board of selectmen, Paul Hicks was seen as a rising star in the Republican Party. He had been expected to run for first selectman, but eventually dropped out of politics and devoted his time to public relations,” reported Courant.com.
5. Paul & Caye Have Two Daughters
In addition to Hope, Paul and Caye Hicks have a second daughter named Mary Grace, according to Paul Hicks’ work bio.
The family lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Hope Hicks was propelled into Donald Trump’s inner circle when she got a job working for a New York PR firm in 2012 that did work for Trump Organization accounts. From there, she moved over to work for Ivanka Trump’s fashion line in PR, and even did modeling shoots for the line (she was a child model for Ralph Lauren). Trump tapped her to work for his campaign after being impressed with that work. Today, she is regarded as one of the few people who has the president’s ear and is considered safe amidst White House turnover.
In 2010, Paul Hicks wrote on Facebook, “Hope C. Hicks graduates from SMU on Saturday after four excellent years. Hard to believe as it has gone by so fast.”
You can read more about Hope Hicks and Trump here:
