Mrs Obama replaces Chief of Staff

June 5, 2009

Check out the date. This was released yesterday and no one said a word until today. Why?

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________________________________
For Immediate Release June 4, 2009

WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES EAST WING STAFF CHANGES

Jackie Norris to Senior Advisor to Corporation for National and Community Service, Susan Sher to Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama

WASHINGTON, DC – The White House announced today that the First Lady’s Chief of Staff Jackie Norris has been appointed as Senior Advisor to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Susan Sher, a longtime colleague and friend of the First Lady’s, has been promoted to Chief of Staff. The First Lady, Mrs. Norris and Ms. Sher all released statements on the moves, included below:

Statement from Mrs. Obama:

Jackie Norris has been a colleague and friend since the earliest days of the Iowa campaign. She has built a strong organization in the East Wing and made tremendous progress on issues that are important to me and the President, particularly in the area of national service. In assuming the role as Senior Advisor to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Jackie will work closely with my office and the Administration as we move forward to implement the new Serve America Act and we will continue to count on Jackie’s leadership and passion for this cause.

Susan Sher is a trusted advisor, longtime mentor and friend dating back to my work at the City of Chicago and later the University of Chicago. Since the beginning of this Administration, Susan has served as a senior member of the East Wing and West Wing teams providing legal counsel, working as a member of the health care reform task force and leading Jewish outreach, and her transition to chief of staff will be seamless.

Statement from Jackie Norris:

I am grateful to President and Mrs. Obama for the opportunities and friendship they have given me over the last few years and I am looking forward to becoming an integral part of this Administration’s efforts to advance the cause of national and community service.

Statement from Susan Sher:

Mrs. Obama and I have worked together for many years on issues that we both care deeply about and I appreciate the opportunity to be of greater service to her and this Administration.

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Ms Sher and the First Lady have a long history intertwined with Valerie Jarrett (Anyone hear from her lately?) working together with Mayor Daley and the University of Chicago Medical Center. barry couldn’t make good on the $1M payback earmark for U of C MC in gratitude for his wife’s $192,052 raise [$121,910 to $316,962] 2 months after hewas sworn in as senator so Michelle had to do it herself.

The question is why did it take so long and what was the inciting factor? And what are the chances the media is going to press for the information? I imagine not too good considering they didn’t pick up on this until today.

More info on Susan Sher from the U of C MC website. (1-9-09)

Susan S. Sher, Vice President for Legal and Governmental Affairs and General Counsel of the University of Chicago Medical Center, will be leaving her position to join the Obama administration as associate counsel to the President.

In her new position, she will work on legal issues associated with health care and will be advise First Lady Michelle Obama. Sher worked with Obama while the First Lady was Vice President for Community and External Affairs at the Medical Center.

From 1993 to 1997 she was the Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago, the City of Chicago’s chief lawyer; she reported to the Mayor and was responsible for representing the Mayor, city departments, boards and commissions on all legal matters. She was the first Assistant Corporation Counsel from 1989-93.