Joan Tanner

Joan Tanner holds a key position at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), serving as the direct contact for White House communications director Toby Ziegler. Toby instructs junior staffer Zach to phone her amid urgent White House business outside the snowed-in entrance, signaling her accessibility for high-level inter-agency coordination on environmental matters. This establishes her as a trusted external liaison who bridges executive policy needs with federal regulatory operations, enabling rapid response in fast-paced political crises.