Valerie June Jarrett ( Bowman; born November 14, 1956)
is an American businesswoman and former government official. She currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the
Obama Foundation. She previously served as the
senior advisor to
U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
and assistant to the president for
public engagement and intergovernmental affairs from 2009 to 2017. Before that, she served as a co-chair of the
Obama–Biden Transition Project.
She has been the CEO of the
Obama Foundation since October 2021.
Early life and education
Jarrett was born in
Shiraz
Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the population of the city was 1,565,572 p ...
, Iran,
during
the Shah's rule, to American parents
James E. Bowman and
Barbara T. Bowman. Her father, a pathologist and geneticist, worked at a hospital in Shiraz in 1956. When she was five years old, the family moved to
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
for a year, later moving to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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in 1963.
Her parents are of African-American and European descent. On the television series ''
Finding Your Roots
''Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'' is a documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS. In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is compiled wi ...
'', DNA testing indicated that Jarrett is of 49% European, 46% African, and 5% Native American descent. Among her European roots, she was found to have French and Scottish ancestry. One of her maternal great-grandfathers,
Robert Robinson Taylor
Robert Robinson Taylor (June 8, 1868 – December 13, 1942) was an American architect and educator. Taylor was the first African-American student enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the first accredited African-Ame ...
, was the first accredited African-American architect, and the first African-American student enrolled at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of th ...
.
Ellen Weiss
Ellen Weiss (born January 30, 1959) is an American journalist and four-time Peabody Award winner. She joined National Public Radio (NPR) in 1982, eventually running the NPR News national desk and serving as executive producer of the NPR News maga ...
"Robert Robinson Taylor"
'' Encyclopedia of Alabama'' Jarrett's father once told her that her great-grandfather was Jewish. Her maternal grandfather,
Robert Rochon Taylor, was chairman of the Chicago Housing Authority in the 1940s.
As a child, Jarrett spoke
Persian,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, and English.
In 1966, her mother was one of four child advocates who created the
Erikson Institute. The institute was established to provide collective knowledge in child development for teachers and other professionals working with young children.
Jarrett graduated from
Northfield Mount Hermon School
Northfield Mount Hermon School, often called NMH, is a co-educational preparatory school in Gill, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is a member of the Eight Schools Association.
Present day
NMH offers nearly 200 courses, including AP a ...
in 1974, and earned a B.A. in psychology from
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
in 1978 and a
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...
(J.D.) from the
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School (Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparative Law (MCL ...
in 1981. On May 21, 2016, she received the
honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad h ...
of
Doctor of Laws
A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...
from
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philanth ...
in
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The city is home to Colby College and Thomas College. As of the 2020 census the population was 15,828. Along with Augusta, Waterville is ...
.
Career
Chicago municipal politics
Jarrett got her start in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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politics in 1987 working for
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
Harold Washington as deputy corporation counsel for finance and development.
Jarrett continued to work in the
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, coordinates =
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, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
mayor's office in the 1990s. She was deputy chief of staff for Mayor
Richard Daley, during which time (1991) she hired
Michelle Robinson (Michelle Obama), then engaged to
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
, away from a private law firm. Jarrett served as commissioner of the department of planning and development from 1992 through 1995, and she was chairwoman of the
Chicago Transit Authority
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of mass transit in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and some of its surrounding suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago 'L' and CTA bus service. In , the system had a ridership of , ...
from 1995 to 2003.
Business administration
Until joining the Obama administration, Jarrett was the CEO of the Habitat Company, a real estate development and management company, which she joined in 1995. She was replaced by Mark Segal, an attorney who joined the company in 2002, as CEO. Daniel E. Levin is the chairman of Habitat, which was formed in 1971. Jarrett was a member of the board of
Chicago Stock Exchange
NYSE Chicago, formerly known as the Chicago Stock Exchange (CHX), is a stock exchange in Chicago, Illinois, US. The exchange is a national securities exchange and self-regulatory organization, which operates under the oversight of the U.S. ...
(2000–2007, as chairman, 2004–2007).
Jarrett was a member of the
board of trustees
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit org ...
of the
University of Chicago Medical Center
The University of Chicago Medical Center (UChicago Medicine) is a nationally ranked academic medical center located in Hyde Park on the South Side of Chicago. It is the flagship campus for The University of Chicago Medicine system and was establi ...
from 1996 to 2009, becoming vice chairwoman in 2002 and chairwoman in 2006.
She also served as vice chairwoman of the board of trustees of the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
and a trustee of the
Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
Jarrett serves on the board of directors of
USG Corporation
USG Corporation, also known as United States Gypsum Corporation, is an American company which manufactures construction materials, most notably drywall and joint compound. The company is the largest distributor of wallboard in the United States ...
, a Chicago-based building materials corporation.
Advisor to Barack Obama
Jarrett was one of President Obama's longest serving advisors and confidantes and was "widely tipped for a high-profile position in an Obama administration."
On November 14, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama selected Jarrett to serve as a
senior advisor to the president and
assistant to the president for intergovernmental relations and public liaison.
Jarrett was one of three senior advisors to President Obama.
She held the retitled position of assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and public engagement,
[ managed the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, and Office of Urban Affairs; she also chaired the ]White House Council on Women and Girls
The White House Council on Women and Girls was an advisory council within the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs of the Executive Office of the President of the United States. It was established by on March 11, 2009, with a broad mandate to advi ...
and the White House Office of Olympic, Paralympic, and Youth Sport. She was part of the U.S. State Visit to the UK in May 2011.
She said that the 2011 report '' Women in America'', which the administration produced for the Council on Women and Girls, would be used to guide policy-making.
Jarrett had a staff of approximately three dozen and received full-time Secret Service
A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. Fo ...
protection. Jarrett's role as both a friend of the Obamas and as senior advisor in the White House was controversial: in his memoirs Robert M. Gates, former secretary of defense
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...
, discussed his objection to her involvement in foreign security affairs; David Axelrod reported in his memoirs about Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician and diplomat who is the current United States Ambassador to Japan. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served two terms as the 55th Mayor of Chicago from 2011 ...
's attempts to have her selected as Obama's replacement in the senate, due to concerns about the difficulty in working with a family friend in a major policy role.
Additional leadership positions
In addition to being senior advisor to the president, Jarrett held other leadership positions and completed further duties. Among those included chairing the White House Council on Women and Girls
The White House Council on Women and Girls was an advisory council within the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs of the Executive Office of the President of the United States. It was established by on March 11, 2009, with a broad mandate to advi ...
and co-chairing the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault
The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault was formed on January 22, 2014, after President Barack Obama directed the Office of the Vice President of the United States and the White House Council on Women and Girls to "s ...
.[A renewed call to action to end rape and sexual assault](_blank)
''The White House Blog'', Washington, DC: Valerie Jarrett, January 22, 2014, Retrieved January 24, 2014.[Memorandum: Establishing White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault](_blank)
''WhiteHouse.gov'', Washington, DC: The White House, January 22, 2014, Retrieved June 10, 2014. In March 2014, she participated as a speaker o
Voices in Leadership
an original Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health webcast series, in a discussion entitled,
Leadership in the White House
" moderated by Dr. Atul Gawande.
Relationship with the Obamas
In 1991, as deputy chief of staff to Mayor Richard Daley, Jarrett interviewed Michelle Robinson for an opening in the mayor's office, after which she immediately offered Robinson the job. Robinson asked for time to think and also asked Jarrett to meet her fiancé, Barack Obama. The three ended up meeting for dinner. After the dinner, Robinson accepted the job with the mayor's office. It was at this time that Jarrett reportedly took the couple under her wing and "introduced them to a wealthier and better-connected Chicago than their own." When Jarrett later left her position at the mayor's office to head the Chicago department of planning and development, Michelle Obama went with her.
Support for 2008 US Presidential Election
Obama's election team and supporters, for example at the Philadelphia National Constitution Center speech, included Valerie Jarrett, David Plouffe and David Axelrod, all whom later joined him and First Lady Michelle Obama in the White House.
Post-Obama administration
Since leaving the White House, Jarrett has volunteered as a senior advisor to the Obama Foundation. In 2017 she was appointed to the board of directors of Ariel Investments, and joined the board of directors
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit orga ...
of 2U, Inc., Lyft
Lyft, Inc. offers mobility as a service, ride-hailing, vehicles for hire, motorized scooters, a bicycle-sharing system, rental cars, and food delivery in the United States and select cities in Canada. Lyft sets fares, which vary using a dyn ...
, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
. She is also the co-chair of the United State of Women, chair of the Board of When We All Vote, and a senior advisor to ATTN:. In January 2018 she became a distinguished senior fellow at the University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School is the law school of the University of Chicago, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is consistently ranked among the best and most prestigious law schools in the world, and has many dis ...
.
In July 2017 Jarrett signed a deal with Viking Press
Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim and then acquir ...
for her book titled ''Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward''.
In December 2020, following the announcement that Obama Foundation President Wally Adeyemo would be nominated to become Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, the Foundation announced that Jarrett would take over his duties on an interim basis until a successor can be found.
In popular culture
Along with Donna Brazile
Donna Lease Brazile (; born December 15, 1959) is an American political strategist, campaign manager and political analyst who served twice as acting Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). She is currently an ABC News contributor, an ...
, vice chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well ...
, she is one of the political figures to make a cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
as herself in the CBS drama '' The Good Wife''.
Personal life
In 1983 she married William Robert Jarrett, son of ''Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the '' Chicago ...
'' reporter Vernon Jarrett Vernon Daurice Jarrett (born Daurice Vernon Jarrett; June 19, 1918Jarrett's year of birth according to the 1920 United States Census, U.S. Social Security Death Index, and the U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index is 1918. Conflicting ...
. She attributes her switch from a private to a public career to the birth of their daughter, and her own desire to do something that would make their daughter proud.[.] Her daughter, Laura Jarrett, is an attorney and reporter for CNN, and daughter-in-law of the Canadian politician Bas Balkissoon
Bas Balkissoon (born ) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2005 to 2016 who represented the riding of Scarborough—Rouge River. From 1988 to 1997 he was a municipal coun ...
.
To one reporter's emailed question about her divorce, she replied, "Married in 1983, separated in 1987, and divorced in 1988. Enough said."[ In a '']Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' profile, she further explained, "We grew up together. We were friends since childhood. In a sense, he was the boy next door. I married without really appreciating how hard divorce would be."[ William Jarrett died on November 19, 1993, at age 40, and at the time of his death he was director of obstetrics and gynecology at Jackson Park Hospital.
In 2018, Jarrett was the target of an offensive tweet by Roseanne Barr. Barr said, in reference to Jarrett, it was as though the “]muslim brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( '), is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic studies, Islamic scholar and scho ...
and planet of the apes
''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...
had a baby”. In response to her attack on Jarrett, Barr was released by her talent agency ICM and lost her television role on ''Roseanne
''Roseanne'' is an American sitcom television series created by Matt Williams and Roseanne Barr which aired on ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May 22, 2018. The show stars Barr as Rosea ...
''.
References
External links
Valerie Jarrett
at Whitehouse.gov (archived at obamawhitehouse.archives.gov)
*
*
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jarrett, Valerie
1956 births
21st-century American women politicians
21st-century American politicians
African-American lawyers
African-American women in politics
African-American women lawyers
American expatriates in Iran
American people of French descent
American people of Scottish descent
American women chief executives
American women lawyers
Illinois Democrats
Illinois lawyers
Living people
Northfield Mount Hermon School alumni
Obama administration personnel
People from Shiraz
Politicians from Chicago
Senior Advisors to the President of the United States
Stanford University alumni
University of Chicago Laboratory Schools alumni
University of Michigan Law School alumni
Women in Illinois politics