Valerie Jarrett
Senior Advisor to President Obama
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Valerie Jarrett
Biography
Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama; Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement; and Chair of the White House Council for Women and Girls (2009-2017)
Valerie B. Jarrett is a Senior Distinguished Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School, and a senior advisor to the Obama Foundation and Attn. She serves as chairman of the board of When We All Vote and co-chair of The United State of Women. She also serves on the boards of Ariel Investments, 2U, Lyft, the Innocence Project, the Economic Club of Chicago and the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Her New York Times bestselling memoir, Finding My Voice: When the Perfect Plan Crumbles, the Adventure Begins, was published in 2019 and updated in 2020.
Ms. Jarrett was the longest serving Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama. She oversaw the Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs and Chaired the White House Council on Women and Girls. Ms. Jarrett worked throughout her tenure at the White House to mobilize elected officials, business and community leaders, and diverse groups of advocates. She led the Obama Administration's efforts to expand and strengthen access to the middle class, and boost American businesses and our economy. She championed the creation of equality and opportunity for all Americans, and economically and politically empowering women in the United States and around the world. She oversaw the Administration's advocacy for workplace policies that empower working families, including equal pay, raising the minimum wage, paid leave, paid sick days, workplace flexibility, and affordable childcare, and led the campaigns to reform our criminal justice system, end sexual assault, and reduce gun violence.
Ms. Jarrett has a background in both the public and private sectors. She served as the Chief Executive Officer of The Habitat Company in Chicago, Chairman of the Chicago Transit Board, Commissioner of Planning and Development, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. She also served as the director of numerous corporate and not-for-profit boards including Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Stock Exchange, Chairman of the University of Chicago Medical Center Board of Trustees, and Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Jarrett practiced law for ten years in both the private and public sectors, and has also received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including TIME's "100 Most Influential People" as well as the Abner J. Mikva Legal Legends Award.
Jarrett received her B.A. from Stanford University in 1978 and her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981.
Valerie Jarrett
Featured Keynote Programs
A Conversation on Race
As a former public official in Chicago and the longest serving advisor to President Obama, Valerie Jarrett has played a pivotal role in developing laws, policies and practices to make our nation more fair and equitable. From revamping public housing in Chicago, to fighting for gender equity, to reforming the nation’s criminal justice system, Jarrett has been on the forefront of developing strategies to improve our culture and strengthen critical protections against discrimination.
Jarrett uses her personal story, including the close relationships she has developed with the country’s business leaders, civil rights leaders, mayors, governors and civic institutions, to provides a clear understanding of both the current challenges and opportunities as our country grapples with the state of race relations in America. As a corporate board member, Jarrett uniquely shares the current state of diversity in the corporate world and, what C-level executives need to do beyond a PR statement to improve the culture of inclusion in their companies. Hear directly from Jarrett on the competitive advantages to strengthening the diversity of your corporate team, the new responsibilities of corporate citizens and strategies to accomplish both.
Finding My Voice
Early in her career, Valerie Jarrett was painfully shy and intent on following her “plan.” In this conversation, Valerie will discuss how she found her voice, leaned into life’s “zig-zags,” and became the longest serving advisor to President Obama. Jarrett’s work included promoting equality for women and girls, advancing civil rights, reforming the criminal justice system, and improving the lives of working families. Jarrett uses her voice in her forthright, optimistic perspective on the importance of leadership and the responsibilities of citizenship in the twenty-first century, inspiring the audience to lift their own voices.
Building an Equal, Diverse and Inclusive Workplace
In this conversation, Valerie discusses her passion and advocacy for workplace equality, diversity and inclusion. Working family issues have economic results that directly impact the ability to attract and retain the most talented workforce. From her experience as a CEO of the largest multi-family housing and development company in Chicago, to her board service as a director of numerous corporations and non-profit organizations, Valerie speaks directly to the importance of removing structural and cultural barriers that prevent employers from attracting and retaining a diverse and talented workforce.
A Look Ahead to Election
Valerie Jarrett worked on two rigorous presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012. The most tenured, senior advisor of the Obama administration will explain what the eventual Democratic nominee will need to build to win, break down the primary process and contenders, share the importance of citizen engagement, and recount lessons that she learned from the campaign trail. Jarrett is optimistic, enthused and engaged, leading “When We All Vote,” a non-partisan effort to get out to vote.
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