Engage and Connect
President Obama is committed to making this the most open and participatory administration in history. That begins with taking your questions and comments, inviting you to join online events with White House officials, and giving you a way to engage with your government on the issues that matter the most.
Valerie B. Jarrett is a Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama. She is also the Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls and she oversees the Offices of Intergovernmental Affairs; Public Engagement; and Olympic, Paralympic, and Youth Sport.
Prior to joining the Obama Administration, she was the Chief Executive Officer of The Habitat Company. She also served as Co-Chair of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team, and Senior Advisor to Obama's presidential campaign.
Prior to that, Ms. Jarrett has held positions in both the public and private sector, including the Chairman of the Chicago Transit Board, the Commissioner of Planning and Development for the City of Chicago, Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Richard M. Daley, and Deputy Corporation Council for Finance and Development. She also practiced law with two private law firms.
Michael Strautmanis is the Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor for Strategic Engagement to the Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett. In this role, Michael is responsible for coordinating communication and engagement strategies. In addition, he will serve as a senior advisor to the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Formerly, Michael was the Chief of Staff to the Senior Advisor for the offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Jon Carson is the Director of the Office of Public Engagement. Previously, he served as the Chief of Staff at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Before joining the Administration, Jon was the National Field Director for President Barack Obama's campaign in 2008 and worked on the Obama transition team.
Carson also managed Tammy Duckworth's 2006 general election campaign in Illinois' 6th Congressional District and has worked on many political campaigns over the last decade, including Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign. Jon served in the Peace Corps in southern Honduras for two years, building water systems for rural villages. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering and received a Master’s Degree in Geography from the University of California-Los Angeles.
Anne Filipic serves as Deputy Director of Public Engagement. In this role, she oversees the team charged with building relationships with constituency group leaders across the country, connecting them and their communities with the programs of the federal government. Prior to joining the White House, Filipic served as Deputy Executive Director of the Democratic National Committee and Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services. Previously, she held a number of leadership roles on the 2008 Obama for America campaign, including Field Director for the Iowa Caucus and Colorado General Election Director.
Stephanie Valencia is currently Deputy Director of the Office of Public Engagement overseeing critical engagement programs like Champions of Change and the Community Leaders Briefing Series. She has served in the White House Office of Public Engagement since February 2009 where she originally handled outreach to the Latino community, immigration, and housing. She also worked on Puerto Rico issues. Prior to joining the Administration, Stephanie served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team and was Deputy Latino Vote Director on the Obama Campaign. Stephanie also served as Press Secretary to United States Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), serving as his spokeswoman and media advisor. Stephanie also worked in the House of Representatives as Special Assistant and Press Secretary to the Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Congressman John B. Larson from Connecticut. She also served as Press Secretary Congresswoman Linda Sanchez. Stephanie started her career as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow and is a graduate of Boston College. She was born in raised in New Mexico and she and her husband and their two dogs reside in North Bethesda, Maryland.
Rumana Ahmed is the Executive Assistant to Jon Carson, the Director of the Office of Public Engagement. Prior to joining OPE, Rumana worked for the Office of Presidential Correspondence. Rumana grew up in Gaithersburg, MD and received her B.A. in International Affairs, with concentrations in International Economics and Development, from The George Washington University.
Jarrod Neal Bernstein was appointed Director of Jewish Outreach in October of 2011. From April of 2009 to September of 2011 Jarrod served first as the Local Affairs and then as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs for United States Department of Homeland Security. At DHS he worked to coordinate the Departments' outreach to Mayors and Governors across the country as well as working to ensure that priorities of state and local governments were reflected in the operations and policies of the Department. During his tenure at DHS Bernstein worked extensively on the response to the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the earthquake in Haiti, as well as the dissemination of intelligence information to state and local governments during periods of increased threat.
Prior to his service at DHS, he served as Deputy Commissioner of Community Affairs in the office of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. There he was responsible for community crisis management and outreach around mayoral programs. These outreach efforts involved working with diverse communities across the Five Boroughs of New York City to ensure community engagement in the policy process.
From 2002 to 2007 he was the chief spokesman with the New York City Office of Emergency Management where he managed the citywide public
information efforts around dozens of large scale emergencies. He was
also responsible for writing New York's Emergency Public Information Plan, still in use today.
Bernstein holds a BA in Political Science from Johns Hopkins and a JD from Fordham University School of Law.
Borrin most recently served as Deputy Press Secretary in the Office of Senator Joseph Biden. Prior to working in the Senate, she was a finance assistant for Unite Our States, the political action committee for which Biden served as the honorary chair. A native Atlantan with longtime involvement in the Jewish community, Borrin attended Washington University in St. Louis, during which time she interned for United Jewish Communities and the Biden Senate Office. She graduated magna cum laude in political science and international and area studies.
Ronnie Cho is the White House Liaison to Young Americans. Prior to joining the White House, he was an editor at the Newsweek Daily Beast Company in New York City where he wrote and edited content related to social justice, innovation and social entrepreneurship. In 2009, Cho worked at the Federal Communications Commission as part of the team that wrote the National Broadband Plan and also served as Associate Director, Office of Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Phoenix, Arizona native has worked on several political and issue campaigns including Senator John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano’s 2006 gubernatorial race and most recently on the Obama for American campaign beginning in Iowa in 2007. He was also featured in the HBO documentary “By The People: The Election of Barack Obama” that followed President Obama’s historic campaign. He went to Arizona State University.
Francesca (Cesi) López Covey is the Deputy to the Counselor for Strategic Engagement in the Office of Public Engagement. Formerly, Cesi oversaw promotion strategy for OPE. Before joining OPE, Cesi worked in the private sector, most recently for a strategic communications firm in Washington, DC. Cesi is a graduate of Columbia University and Institut d’Ecoles Politques (Sciences-Po). She is originally from Miami, FL.
Dale, who is partially blind, coordinates the Administration's efforts to see that people with disabilities are on a level playing field with all Americans. Originally from Chicago, Dale previously served as the National Disability Director for the Obama for America campaign. He also served on the Arts Policy Committee and the Disability Policy Committee for then-Senator Obama.
Dale graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor's degree in Advertising in May 1995. He received his JD/MBA in May 1999 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating Cum Laude.
Dorsainvil serves as the Deputy Director of Advance and Special Events for the Office of Public Engagement and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. In this role, she coordinates engagement events, bill signings, and policy briefings while providing scheduling guidance and logistical support for the outreach missions of OPE and IGA.
Prior to this role, Dorsainvil served as a Staff Assistant in the Office of Public Engagement working on the White House Council on Women and Girls and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Outreach. Dorsainvil previously served as a White House Intern in the Office of the First Lady in 2009 and subsequently advanced official domestic and international visits for the President and First Lady. She graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in Women’s Studies and Global Health.
Katherine is the assistant to Kareem Dale, the Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy. Prior to joining the Office of Public Engagement, Katherine interned in the White House Office of Management and Administration and worked at the Advancement Project on the Schoolhouse-to-Jailhouse Prevention program. Katherine is originally from upstate New York, and is an alumna of Mount Holyoke College.
Quinn St.Clair Fitzgerald is a Staff Assistant in the Office of Public Engagement. Previously, Quinn served as an intern in the Office of Public Engagement working on Native American outreach and young American outreach. The proud Boston, Massachusetts native graduated from the College of the Holy Cross where she developed her passion for public service.
Heather Foster directs African American Outreach at the White House Office of Public Engagement. Before joining the White House, Heather served as the Policy and Outreach Advisor at the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Education. Heather advised faith and community organizations on administration policy and encouraged partnerships with struggling schools across the country. Heather also worked on the Obama Presidential Campaign serving on the national faith outreach team in Chicago, Illinois. Heather is a Georgia native, proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a graduate of Northwestern University.
Galbraith has most recently served as a Deputy Associate Counsel for Presidential Personnel in the White House. He has also previously worked as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Arizona and as a Legislative Assistant to United States Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota. During the Obama Campaign for Change, Galbraith served as the Convener of the Native American Domestic Policy Committee organizing a nationwide group of tribal leaders and activists in developing policy proposals for the campaign. Galbraith is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, received his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago, and graduated from the Arizona State University College of Law. During law school, Galbraith served as the Vice-President of the Native American Law Students Association and clerked for the Native American Rights Fund in Washington, DC.
Brad Jenkins is an Associate Director heading up coalition-building programs across a range of communities including nonprofits, foundations, labor, and business. Before joining the White House, Brad was a Founding Vice President of Business Forward, a national business group that helps bring more innovators and entrepreneurs into the policymaking process. Prior to Business Forward, Brad was the National Deputy Director of Special Projects for the Obama Campaign in Chicago, directing the intersection between the Field campaign and new media operations with a particular focus on youth media and the online voter registration platform. Prior to joining the campaign, Brad spent 6 years as an investment professional in New York and San Francisco. Brad grew up in Hamilton, NJ and received his B.A. in English from the University of Virginia.
Alison currently serves as Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor for Strategic Engagement to the Senior Advisor. Prior to joining OPE, Alison worked for the Office of White House Counsel, Office of Management and Budget, and the 2008 Obama campaign. Alison is a native of Youngstown, Ohio and a graduate of Youngstown State University.
Kyle Lierman works as the liaison to both the sports community and ethnic communities across the country. Prior to his position in the Office of Public Engagement, Kyle ran for State Delegate in his hometown of Bethesda, Maryland. He served as a Special Assistant on the Obama-Biden Transition Team, and as a field organizer for Obama for America. Kyle is a graduate of George Washington University, where he majored in business.
Ari Matusiak serves as the director of private sector engagement at the White House, coordinating the Administration’s interaction with the business community. In that role, he helps to ensure that entrepreneurs, small business owners and corporate and financial leaders alike are aware of and have input into the Administration’s efforts to spur job creation and promote our long-term economic competitiveness. Ari has extensive experience in community and economic development and in building strategic collaboration between the public and private sectors. He is the co-founder and former chairman of Young Invincibles, a nationally recognized organization dedicated to improving the economic opportunities for 18 to 34 year olds. Prior to moving to Washington, Ari was vice president for strategy and community impact at The Rhode Island Foundation, one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the country. While in Rhode Island, Ari also directed HousingWorks RI, a statewide affordable housing coalition and campaign. In that capacity, he led a successful statewide referendum campaign for affordable housing production that leveraged nearly $500 million in additional investment, doubled the production of affordable housing and created thousands of good paying jobs in the state. Ari served as a fellow on Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee in the United States Senate. He graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University and cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was also named a Public Interest Law Scholar. He is originally from Wisconsin and is a diehard Green Bay Packers fan.
Victoria McCullough is responsible for the promotion of events across federal agencies and various constituencies. Using Twitter, blogs and other social media, Victoria works to ensure community and organizational leaders participating in events have the online tools and resources needed to connect their communities and memberships to the White House. Victoria is also the liaison to the arts and culture community.
Prior to this role, Victoria worked as the Assistant to Jon Carson, the Director of the Office of Public Engagement. Victoria joined the Obama Administration in 2008, working at the Department of Homeland Security in the Offices of Legislative Affairs and Intergovernmental Affairs and coordinating the Department’s communication with Congress and state and local officials. During her time at the Department, Victoria spent several months on the ground working on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill response and recovery team. Prior to the Administration, Victoria worked on the 2008 Obama for America campaign. Victoria was born and raised in Tennessee and graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis with a degree in History.
Monteiro serves as the liaison to Arab Americans, faith-based and secular belief communities and also assists in coordinating the White House Mentorship Program. He worked for then-Senator Obama in his Senate office in 2006 before joining the Obama for America campaign in Chicago as the national Deputy Director of Religious Affairs. A graduate of the University of Maryland and the Howard University School of Law, he previously worked at the United States Supreme Court, two Washington, D.C. law firms, and spent a year teaching at a local public charter school.
Page serves as the lead for Veterans, Wounded Warrior and Military Family Outreach. She previously worked on the Obama-Biden Transition Team as well as the Obama for America Campaign 2008. Page is an Operation Iraqi Freedom Army veteran and from a proud military family. She studied political science at the University of Illinois.
Prior to joining the White House, Gautam served as the Deputy White House Liaison for the U.S. Department of Defense and as the Outreach Lead for DoD’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Working Group. Gautam has previously worked for the Obama campaign, Democratic National Committee, and Progressive Majority, and is a graduate of Stanford University.
Karen Richardson is an Associate Director responsible for conducting outreach to the international community, which includes domestically-based advocacy and non-governmental organizations, amongst others, working on a variety of foreign policy issues. Her portfolio also includes conducting outreach to the health care and seniors community, a role she assumed in January 2009 as health care outreach coordinator for the White House Office of Health Reform and the White House Office of Public Engagement. Richardson has also been Senior Advisor to Ambassador Melanne Verveer at the U.S. State Department.
Richardson began working for President Obama at his Senate Office in August 2005, serving as Deputy to the Policy Director. Shortly after Obama announced his presidential run, Richardson joined the Obama for America campaign as the State Policy Director for Iowa, a role she assumed in several states throughout the presidential primary. In July 2008 Richardson became the Policy Director at the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and also joined the DNC as part of then-Senator Obama’s Congressional Liaison team. After the presidential general election, she joined the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team.
Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Los Angeles, California, Richardson has a BA from Howard University, a JD from Howard University School of Law, and a Masters in International Affairs from the London School of Economics.
Julie Chavez Rodriguez is the Associate Director of Latino Affairs and Immigration for the Office of Public Engagement at the White House. Most recently Julie served as the Director of Youth Employment at the Department of the Interior under Secretary Ken Salazar. Prior to joining the Administration, Julie served as the Director of Programs for the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation, a non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by the Chavez family to educate the nation about his life and work. In 2001, Julie helped launch the Chavez Foundation’s service-learning programs in Latino communities across the United States. In the nine years she spent with the organization, Julie distinguished herself as an effective program manager, community organizer, and advocate for Latino youth. She has established school and community based partnerships in major cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Phoenix, and helped develop curricula widely used in school districts throughout the country. Due to her extensive traveling and commitment to service, Julie has helped to engage Latinos and other communities of color across the country in service-learning and community development programming.
Hallie Schneir manages the White House’s outreach to Women and Girls across the country. She works in partnership with the White House Council on Women & Girls, to ensure that women, girls and the people who care about them are connected to the policies and programs of the Federal government. Prior to joining the Office of Public Engagement, Hallie spent two years at the Department of Veterans Affairs, in the office of Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. Hallie joined the Obama for America campaign in Iowa in March 2007, before finishing the 2008 campaign in North Carolina. Hallie is a proud graduate of Barnard College.
About the Office of Public Engagement
The Office of Public Engagement is the embodiment of the President’s goal of making government inclusive, transparent, accountable and responsible.
We create and coordinate opportunities for direct dialogue between the Obama Administration and the American public, while bringing new voices to the table and ensuring that everyone can participate and inform the work of the President.
The Office of Public Engagement helps open the two-way dialogue, ensuring that the issues impacting our nation’s proud and diverse communities have a receptive team dedicated to making their voices heard within the Administration, and even more importantly helping their concerns be translated into action by the appropriate bodies of the Federal Government.
As part of making the Government accessible to its citizens, the Office of Public Engagement acts as a point of coordination for public speaking engagement for the Administration and the various departments of the Executive Offices of the President. The Office of Public Engagement removes obstacles and barriers for engagement and works to improve public awareness and involvement in the work of the Administration.
Together, side by side with the citizens who have demanded a government they can be a part of, a government that works, The Office of Public Engagement will build the open and transparent government President Barack Obama has promised.
