Compiled by Drones216
Who is Valerie Jarrett?
Valerie Jarrett is “the fixer”; her latest assignment was to smooth all rough patches out of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Jarrett was an early and influential Obama-backer and remains extremely loyal to him. She has been in politics much of her adult life–running various top agencies for Mayor Richard M. Daley. Moreover, she’s made her mark in the private sector, where she’s currently CEO of real estate developer The Habitat Co. and is highly-regarded within Chicago’s political and corporate circles. It is impressive enough to be known for solutions in Chicago politics, but is also a close friend and confidant of Obama and his wife Michelle. Her background is almost a week of study from African American history 101.
Ms. Jarrett was born in Shiraz, Iran, in 1956, and educated at a New England prep school. But while Mr. Obama was once an outsider in Chicago’s black community, Ms. Jarrett was a member of its royalty. Her great-grandfather was the first African-American to graduate from M.I.T., her grandfather was the first black man to head the Chicago Housing Authority, and her father was the first black resident at St. Luke’s Hospital. Though Ms. Jarrett has never worked in Washington, her great-uncle is Vernon Jordan, the well-known Democratic power broker.
She graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon, a New England boarding school, in 1974. She also received a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University in 1978, and a JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981.
Jarret got her start in Chicago politics in 1987 working for Mayor Harold Washington as Deputy Corporation Counsel for Finance and Development. Jarret continued to work in the mayor’s office in the 1990s. She was Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Richard Daley, during which time (1991) she hired Michelle Robinson, then engaged to Barack Obama, away from a private law firm. Jarret served as Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development from 1992 through 1995; and was Chair of the Chicago Transit Board from 1995 to 2005.
Now with the resume given a look over, it has been reported she will not take Obama’s US Senate Seat. But will be joining President Elect Obama in his cabinet. So with Jarrett out of the running for the seat, who will it be?
Although President Elect Obama cannot name his replacement, under state law, Gov. Rod Blagojevich must name someone to serve Obama’s remaining term. Other names that have surfaced include: U.S. Rep Jesse Jackson Jr., State Treasurer and Obama buddy Alexi Giannoulias, Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Jarrett would be Jr. Senator with the greatest personal connection to the President; she could really flourish in this Democratic environment over the next four years.
UPDATE: From The Huffington Post
President-elect Barack Obama has formally named his friend Valerie Jarrett to be a senior adviser in the White House. Her official title will be “senior advisor and assistant to the President for Inter-government relations and Public Liaison in the Obama White House,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet.
Jarrett is a co-chair of Obama’s transition team and was a top advisor to him during the presidential campaign.
From Lynn Sweet’s report:
Jarrett, 51, a Hyde Park resident, is a veteran of Chicago’s City Hall who went on to become the CEO of The Habitat Company, a major Chicago real estate firm as well as serving on a variety of civic and corporate boards. […] Joining the campaign while still juggling her Habitat duties, Jarrett functioned as a friend–dining with Obama and other pals before a debate–as a top surrogate for the fund-raising drive–and as an advisor, often with Obama on the campaign plane.
Jarrett’s White House role may be similar to the one played by Karen Hughes in President Bush’s first term, the Washington Post speculates, “providing political advice while keeping him grounded.”
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