Valerie Jarrett, chief executive officer and member of the board of directors of the Barack Obama Foundation, will speak at William & Mary on March 7 as the university celebrates Women’s History Month and Values Week.
Jarrett, who previously served as senior advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama, will speak on values-based leadership with a focus on W&M’s values. She will also discuss her experiences as a woman whose career has included multiple, high-level leadership positions.
The discussion, which begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Sadler Center’s Commonwealth Auditorium, will be moderated by Barbara Hamm Lee, host of WHRV’s “Another View.” The event is co-sponsored by Community Values & Restorative Practices, the Center for Student Diversity and Alma Mater Productions.
Doors open for the discussion at 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. They will be available online starting at noon on Feb. 24.
Jarrett serves as board chairman of Civic Nation and co-chair of The United State of Women. Jarrett serves on the boards of Walgreens Boot Alliance, Inc., Ralph Lauren Corporation, Lyft, Inc., Sweetgreen, Ariel Investments, The University of Chicago, Sesame Street Workshop and the Economic Club of Chicago. Jarrett also serves on the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women Advisory Board.
As Obama’s senior advisor from 2009 to 2017, Jarrett is the longest-serving senior advisor to a United States president in history. During her time in that role, she oversaw the offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs and chaired the White House Council on Women and Girls.
A graduate of Stanford University and the University of Michigan Law School, Jarrett’s previous positions spanned both the public and private sectors. In addition to practicing law for 10 years, she served as chief executive officer of The Habitat Company, the commissioner of planning and development for the city of Chicago and deputy chief of staff for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Throughout the years, she has also led multiple corporate and not-for-profit boards, serving in such positions as chairman of the board of the Chicago Stock Exchange, chairman of the University of Chicago Medical Center Board of Trustees, vice chairman of the University of Chicago Board of Trustees, director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and chair of the Chicago Transit Board. Jarrett has received myriad honors for her accomplishments and has been counted among TIME’s “100 Most Influential People.”
Hosted by Community Values & Restorative Practices, Values Week celebrates students’ commitment to their personal and community values – including integrity, respect and belonging. The Undergraduate Honor Council, Student Conduct Council and the Conduct & Honor Advisor Program (CHAPs) will host a series of programs throughout the week highlighting these values, engaging students in values-clarification and challenging students to uphold their personal community values while at William & Mary.
Staff, University News & Media
