2018 Distinguished Fellow
Valerie B. Jarrett Named
2018 Distinguished Fellow
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Jarrett honored at Celebrate Leaders
event on Wednesday, April 11
Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) proudly to recognized Valerie B. Jarrett, Fellow since 1986, as the 2018 Distinguished Fellow. Ms. Jarrett was honored at our Celebrate Leaders event on Wednesday, April 11 at the Hilton Chicago. This celebration was extra special as LGC marked the 35th anniversary of our founding.
Ms. Jarrett is a senior advisor to the Obama Foundation and Attn, and a Senior Distinguished Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School. She also serves on the boards of Ariel Investments, 2U, Lyft and John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Ms. Jarrett was the longest serving Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, overseeing the Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs and chairing the White House Council on Women and Girls. See below for her full bio.
"We are proud to honor Valerie Jarrett's leadership, her service to Chicago and our country, and her courage in addressing pressing socioeconomic issues around the world," said LGC Chief Executive Officer, Maria Wynne.
LGC established the annual Distinguished Fellow Award in 1999 to honor a Fellow who has made a significant leadership contribution to the community. To see the full list of past honorees, click here.
ABOUT VALERIE B. JARRETT
Valerie B. Jarrett is a senior advisor to the Obama Foundation and Attn, and a Senior Distinguished Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School. She also serves on the boards of Ariel Investments, 2U, Lyft and John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.
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 of the Board 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. Ms. Jarrett has also received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including TIME’s “100 Most Influential People.”
Jarrett received her B.A. from Stanford University in 1978 and her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981.
