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Valerie JarrettPrincipal Advisor and Assistant to the President of the United States for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Affairs
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Childhood and Education
- Early Career in Law and Government
- Real Estate and Civic Engagement
- Presidential Advisor and Close Friend of Obama
- Chief Advisor to President Obama
- Personal Life
Childhood and Education
Valerie Bowman Jarrett was born in 1956 in Shiraz, Iran, to American parents. Her father, James Bowman, was a physician working on a development program in Iran. Five years later, the family relocated to London, and then in 1963, they settled in Chicago, Illinois. Valerie attended high school at Northfield Mount Hermon School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Stanford University in 1978 and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981.
Early Career in Law and Government
From 1981 to 1987, Jarrett worked at private law firms in Chicago, including Ballard, Shepard & Pole, Ltd. and Sonnenschein, Carlin, Nath & Rosenthal. In 1987, she began working for Mayor Harold Washington as an assistant corporation counsel for finance and development and continued to serve in the administrations of Mayors Eugene Sawyer and Richard M. Daley, eventually becoming deputy chief of staff.
Real Estate and Civic Engagement
In 1995, Jarrett joined The Habitat Company, a real estate management firm, as a vice president. From January 2007 to November 2008, she acted as the company's president and CEO. She also chaired the Chicago Transit Authority board from 1995 to 2003 and served on the board of trustees for the University of Chicago.
Presidential Advisor and Close Friend of Obama
In 1991, Jarrett hired Michelle Robinson, who would later become Barack Obama's wife, for a position in the Chicago mayor's office. Jarrett became a close friend of the Obama family. Her connections in Chicago were instrumental in Obama's election to the U.S. Senate in 2004. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Jarrett served as a senior advisor to Obama.
Chief Advisor to President Obama
After Obama was elected president, Jarrett was appointed as one of three co-chairs of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. On November 14, 2008, it was announced that Jarrett would serve as Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement. She assumed this role after Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2009.
