Obama's top Senior Advisor born in IRAN!

Valerie Jarrett managed a taxpayer subsidized housing complex. She says in
USA today "I am A Muslim adviser to Obama". She refers to herself as an American-Iranian.
Technically her title is "senior adviser.'' But Jarrett, the soft-spoken, steely willed, longtime Chicago powerbroker, has also been called the other side of Obama's brain. At the very least, she is his eyes and ears.

Jarrett is a member of African-American and Chicago royalty. But her story and her life begin in the Middle East, not the Midwest. She was born in 1956 in Shiraz, Iran, about 570 miles south of Tehran. Her parents moved to Shiraz, known for its poets, wine and flowers, as part of a program that sent American doctors and agricultural experts to developing countries to help jump-start their health and farming efforts. Her father was on the staff of the brand new Nemazee Hospital, where Jarrett was born. "Every memory from Iran is a very happy memory," Jarrett told me in an e-mail

alerie Jarrett
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Born Valerie Bowman
November 14, 1956
Shiraz, Iran
Residence Chicago, Illinois
Citizenship United States
Education Stanford University (B.A.)
University of Michigan (J.D.)
Occupation Lawyer, businesswoman, civic leader
Title CEO, The Habitat Company
Known for Senior advisor to Barack Obama
Political party Democratic
Board member of Chicago Stock Exchange
Univ of Chicago Med Cntr
University of Chicago
Children Daughter
Parents Dr. James Bowman and Barbara Bowman
Relatives Robert Taylor, grandfather

Valerie Bowman Jarrett (born 1956) is a Chicago lawyer, businesswoman, and civic leader. She is a senior advisor to 2008 Democratic U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama.[1]
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Personal
* 2 Chicago politics
* 3 Business career
* 4 Advisor to Barack Obama
* 5 References
* 6 External links

[edit] Personal

Valerie Bowman was born on November 14, 1956 in Shiraz, Iran, where her father, Dr. James Bowman, ran a hospital for poor children.[2] Her father, a pathologist and geneticist, is Professor Emeritus in Pathology and Medicine, University of Chicago.[3] Her mother, Barbara Bowman, is an early childhood education expert and co-founder of the Erikson Institute for child development.[2][4] Her maternal grandfather, Robert Taylor was the head of the Chicago Housing Authority in the 1940s.[5][6] At age 5, the family moved to London for one year, then returned to Chicago in 1963.

She received a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University in 1978, and a JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981.

She was married to William Robert Jarrett from 1983 to 1988. They had one child - a daughter - who is currently a Harvard Law student.[2]

[edit] Chicago politics

Jarrett got her start in Chicago politics in 1987 working for mayor Harold Washington[6] as Deputy Corporation Counsel for Finance and Development.[7]

Jarrett 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. Jarrett 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 2003.[7]

[edit] Business career

She is currently the CEO of The Habitat Company, a real estate development and management company, which she joined in 1995. She was a Member of the Board of Chicago Stock Exchange (2000-2007, as Chairman, 2004-2007).

She is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago Medical Center,[7] Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago and a Trustee of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.[8]

[edit] Advisor to Barack Obama

Jarrett is one of Senator Obama's longest serving advisors and "closest campaign aide[s] – an insider widely tipped for a top position in an Obama administration. "[9][10]
“

Unlike Burt Lance, who arrived from Georgia with President [Jimmy] Carter and became his budget director, or Karen Hughes, who was President [George W.] Bush's communications manager, Ms. Jarrett isn't a confidante with a particular portfolio. What she does share with these counterparts is a fierce sense of loyalty and a refusal to publicly say anything that may reflect poorly on the candidate — or steal his thunder.— Belkin[9]
”

[edit] References

1. ^ Terry, Don (July 27, 2008). "Insider has Obama's ear: What's she telling him?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
2. ^ a b c Cottle, Michelle (August 27, 2008). "The Woman to See: Meet Valerie Jarrett, Barack Obama's fixer". The New Republic. Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
3. ^ "Dr. James Bowman Biography". The History Makers (2002). Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
4. ^ "Barbara Bowman Biography". The History Makers (2002). Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
5. ^ "Biography: Valerie Bowman Jarrett — Lawyer, Business & Civic Leader". The History Makers (2006). Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
6. ^ a b "Campaign 2008: The Family Friend: Valerie Jarrett". Newsweek (May 19, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
7. ^ a b c University of Chicago News Office (June 13, 2006). "Valerie Jarrett to lead expanded Board of University of Chicago Medical Center". Press release.
8. ^ "Valerie Jarrett Profile". Forbes.com (2008). Retrieved on 2008-08-23.
9. ^ a b Belkin, Douglas (May 12, 2008). "For Obama, Advice Straight Up: Valerie Jarrett Is Essential Member of Inner Set". Wall Street Journal.
10. ^ Bai, Matt (August 10, 2008). "Is Obama the End of Black Politics?", New York Times Magazine.

[edit] External links

* Valerie Jarrett – entry on NNDB

Persondata
NAME Jarrett, Valerie B.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Jarrett, Valerie Bowman; Bowman, Valerie
SHORT DESCRIPTION Chicago lawyer, businesswoman, civic leader; seniro senior advisor to U.S. Senator Barack Obama
DATE OF BIRTH November 14, 1956
PLACE OF BIRTH Shiraz, Iran

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Jarrett"
Categories: 1956 births | Living people | Democrats (United States) | People from Chicago, Illinois | Stanford University alumni | University of Michigan alumni