Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett to speak in South Bend Thursday
SOUTH BEND — Valerie Jarrett, a longtime adviser to former President Barack Obama and the CEO of the Obama Foundation, will speak in South Bend Thursday night in a free event at the Morris Performing Arts Center.
Part of the seventh annual Thought Leadership Conference in South Bend, a paid event for leaders who want to build inclusive organizations, Jarrett will speak Thursday at 6 p.m. Jarrett will do a meet-and-greet beforehand, starting at 5 p.m., and sign copies of her 2019 memoir after the talk.
Jarrett was Obama's senior adviser from 2009 to 2017, which makes her the longest-serving top presidential adviser in history.
She led the Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs. She also chaired the White House Council on Women and Girls. She is credited with leading the administration's push to empower working families by raising the federal minimum wage and expanding access to paid leave and affordable child care.
Jarrett practiced law for 10 years and is a senior distinguished fellow at The University of Chicago Law School. She served as a top employee in the administration of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and as the city's commissioner of planning and development.
Although the event is free and open to the public, those interested in attending must get tickets through the Morris box office. Find tickets on the Morris' website or call the box office at 574-235-9190.
Email South Bend Tribune city reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @jordantsmith09
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Valerie Jarrett, Barack Obama's adviser, speaks in South Bend
