An Intimate Conversation and Book Signing with Valerie Jarrett
Registration for this event has closed.
Cost: $75 (includes plated breakfast and book)
Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) Presents:
Valerie Jarrett | Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward
Hear Valerie Jarrett share her wisdom as one of the most accomplished and dynamic women in public service as LGC presents an intimate conversation and book signing with Ms. Jarrett this Thursday, April 18. In her book, Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward, she shares her journey as a daughter, mother, lawyer, business leader, public servant, and leader in government at an historic moment in American history.
This special conversation will be moderated by Marty Nesbitt (LGC Fellow since 1994), Co-Chief Executive Officer of The Vistria Group LLC, and will span Ms. Jarrett's experience from the West Wing to the Boardroom.
A plated breakfast and a copy of Ms. Jarrett’s book are included with your ticket purchase. Additional books will be available onsite for purchase and signing.
EVENT DETAILS
The event begins with a networking reception at 7:30 a.m., with breakfast service at 7:50 a.m., author conversation at 8:00 a.m., and audience Q&A at 9:00 a.m. Books will be provided by The Book Stall for purchase, and book signing will occur after the program.
Agenda
7:30 to 8:00 am: Networking
8:00 to 9:00 am: Ms. Jarrett speaks
9:00 to 9:30 am: Audience Q&A
9:30 to 10:15 am: Book signing
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When Valerie Jarrett (LGC Fellow since 1986) interviewed a promising young lawyer named Michelle Robinson (LGC Fellow since 1993) in July 1991 for a job in Chicago city government, neither knew it was the first step on a path that would end in the White House. Jarrett soon became Michelle and Barack Obama’s trusted personal adviser and family confidante; in the White House, she was known as the one who “got” him and helped him engage his public life. Jarrett joined the White House team on January 20, 2009 and departed with the First Family on January 20, 2017, and she was in the room–in the Oval Office, on Air Force One, and everywhere else–when it all happened. No one has as intimate a view of the Obama Years, nor one that reaches back as many decades, as Jarrett shares in Finding My Voice.
Born in Iran (where her father, a doctor, sought a better job than he could find in segregated America), Jarrett grew up in Chicago in the ‘60s as racial and gender barriers were being challenged. A single mother stagnating in corporate law, she found her voice in Harold Washington’s historic administration, where she began a remarkable journey, ultimately becoming one of the most visible and influential African-American women of the twenty-first century.
From her work ensuring equality for women and girls, advancing civil rights, reforming our criminal justice system, and improving the lives of working families, to the real stories behind some of the most stirring moments of the Obama presidency, Jarrett shares her forthright, optimistic perspective on the importance of leadership and the responsibilities of citizenship in the twenty-first century, inspiring readers to lift their own voices.
Before joining the White House, Jarrett 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. Jarrett has received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including Time’s “100 Most Influential People” and Leadership Greater Chicago’s 2018 Distinguished Fellow. She received her B.A. from Stanford University in 1978 and her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981. She is currently a senior adviser to the Obama Foundation and Attn and a senior distinguished fellow at the University of Chicago Law School.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Dress Code: Business attire required. Denim jeans, shorts, tee shirts and athletic shoes are not permitted. For more information, click here.
Dietary Restrictions/Preferences: Please include all dietary restrictions in your reservation.
Accessibility Needs: Please include all accessibility needs in your reservation.
VENUE DETAILS
Electronics Policy: At The Chicago Club, the use of cell phones for verbal communications is limited to phone booths, private meeting rooms and guest rooms.
Directions, Parking, & Public Transportation: For driving and public transportation directions, click here. Valet parking is not available to guests of Club members; however cars may pull up to the front of The Club for loading and unloading. Several public lots are conveniently located to the Clubhouse, including two outdoor lots at Van Buren and Wabash and an indoor lot at the Grant Park South Garage.
Accessibility: The Chicago Club is fully accessible, with a wheelchair entrance located at 81 E. Van Buren St., just west of the revolving doors. This entrance is attended by a doorman. Elevators are located throughout with access to all floors. For assistance with accessibility requirements, contact us at info@lgcchicago.org or (312) 565-0300.
