Council on Women and Girls Leadership
Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls: Valerie Jarrett, Senior Adviser and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement
Prior to her current position, Ms. Jarrett served as Co-Chair of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team, and Senior Advisor to Obama's presidential campaign. Prior to joining the Obama administration, Ms. Jarrett served as a Director of corporate and not for profit boards, including Chairman of the University of Chicago Medical Center Board of Trustees, and Vice Chair of the University of Chicago Board of Trustees, and the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee. Ms. Jarrett received her A.B. from Stanford University in 1978 and her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981.
Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls: Tina M. Tchen, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement
Ms. Tchen was previously a partner in corporate litigation at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. In that capacity, Ms. Tchen represented public agencies in state and federal class actions, including the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the Illinois Department of Public Aid, and the Chicago Housing Authority. Ms. Tchen is the recipient of many awards, including the Leadership Award from the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (1999); "Women of Achievement" award from the Anti-Defamation League (1996); and Chicago Lawyer "Person of the Year" (1994).
Deputy Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls: Avra Siegel
Ms. Siegel was previously at the National Economic Council at the White House, where she led the women and family economic security portfolio. Prior to joining the Administration she worked as an advance person on the 2008 Presidential Campaign. Throughout the course of her personal and professional life Ms. Siegel has been a tireless advocate for women and girls, from laying the foundation for a Women’s Commission in Allegheny County, PA to organizing collaboration roundtables for women leaders in New York State, these issues have always been front and center in everything she does. Ms. Siegel received an M.P.A. with a concentration in Policy Analysis from the Wagner School of Public Service at NYU and graduated from the University of Michigan where she was an Angell Scholar with a B.A. in American Culture.
Senior Advisor to the White House Council on Women and Girls: Sarah Hurwitz
Ms. Hurwitz currently serves as Special Assistant to the President, Senior Advisor to the White House Council on Women and Girls (CWG), and Senior Presidential Speechwriter. In her work on CWG, Sarah focuses on issues affecting young women and girls.
Before working at the White House, Sarah worked as a Senior Speechwriter on the Obama Campaign; as Chief Speechwriter on Senator Hillary Clinton’s Presidential campaign; as Deputy Chief Speechwriter on the Presidential campaigns of General Wesley Clark and Senator John Kerry; and as a speechwriter for Senator Tom Harkin. Prior to working on the Clinton and Obama campaigns, Sarah was an attorney at the Washington, DC office of WilmerHale. Sarah is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
Associate Director of Public Engagement: Hallie Schneir
Hallie Schneir serves as the Associate Director of Public Engagement, where she 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.
