Mike Strautmanis
Born
Michael Alexander Young

(1969-03-24) March 24, 1969
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Lawyer, political organizer
Known forPolitical appointee during the Presidency of Barack Obama
Political partyDemocratic

Michael Alexander Strautmanis (born Michael Alexander Young, March 24, 1969) is an American lawyer and political organizer who served as chief of staff to Valerie Jarrett in the White House Office of Public Engagement during the Presidency of Barack Obama. He currently works as Executive Vice President for Public Engagement at the Obama Foundation.[1]

Early life and education

Michael Alexander Strautmanis was born in Chicago and lived briefly on the South Side with his mother.[2][3] When his mother married a Latvian immigrant, Juris Strautmanis, they moved to the Uptown neighborhood located in Chicago's North Side.[3] He would later take the last-name of his step-father due to a fractured relationship with his biological father.[4] He attended a prestigious local prep school, the Jesuit-run St. Ignatius College Prep, on a financial-aid program.[3] His mother was a teacher at Jenner Elementary School, while his step-father was a guidance counselor.[3]

He graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1991 with a degree in advertising, although he initially started as a theater major.[3][5] His interest in law arose from a summer job he had in college as a bicycle messenger, where he was inspired by the law firm buildings that he delivered packages to; one of these buildings was Sidley Austin law firm.[3][6] The year before law school, he called the head of human resources of Sidley 13 times and was eventually given a job as a paralegal.[6] As a paralegal, he worked under Michelle Obama from 1991 to 1992.[6][7]

Strautmanis became close friends with Michelle Obama at Sidley, who was influential to his interest in law.[6] He later attended the University of Illinois College of Law and would spend late-night study sessions with then-Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. at IHOP.[3] He earned his J.D. in 1994.[5] After, he practiced complex litigation, labor and employment law, and intellectual property matters in Chicago at Michael Best & Friedrich.[2][8][9]

Early political career

As a young lawyer with an interest in politics, Strautmanis met Thomas Hynes, an influential politician in Chicago, at a Christmas party, which lead to Strautmanis helping Hyne's son with Bill Clinton and Al Gore's Illinois statewide campaign.[3] Wanting to go to Washington, Strautmanis gave his resume to then U.S. Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick after Patrick gave a speech in Chicago; soon after, he was given a position in Washington to serve in the Clinton Administration as the Special Assistant to the General Counsel at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), staying in the position from 1998 to 1999.[3][8][10]

Strautmanis later secured a position as legislative director and counsel for then U.S. Congressman Rod Blagojevich and aided in him winning the 2002 Illinois gubernatorial campaign.[11][12] During this period, Strautmanis had temporarily left this position to volunteer for Barack Obama's U.S. House of Representatives 2000 campaign, although he would return once Obama lost.[13] In 2002, Strautmanis left to work for the American Association for Justice as a lobbyist for trial lawyers, a position he kept till 2005.[8][13][14]

Obama Administration

He served as Chief Counsel and the Director of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs on Obama's presidential transition team.[2][15] In December 2008, Obama announced in a press release that Strautmanis would serve as Chief of Staff to the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Engagement for Valerie Jarrett.[9]

Post-political career

In March 2013, he announced his resignation from the White House staff in order to accept a post with the Walt Disney Corporation specializing in corporate citizenship.[16] In November 2015, the Obama Foundation announced Strautmanis would become the Vice President of Civic Engagement.[17]

Strautmanis is on the board of directors for Lyric Opera of Chicago.[18]

Works

In 2018, Strautmanis detailed his longstanding relationship with Michelle and Barack Obama and his experiences in the Obama White House in a chapter in West Wingers: Stories from the Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and Hope Creators Inside the Obama White House.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Leadership". Obama Foundation. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Dean's Newsletter". University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dorning, Mike; Parsons, Christi (August 10, 2008). "Obama adviser worked path to key campaign role". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  4. ↑ Healy, Bill (April 17, 2020). "StoryCorps Chicago: 'I Had Closed The Door To You Being In My Life In Any Meaningful Way'". WBEZ. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Turner, Carolyn. "Michael Strautmanis '94 named 2016 Illini Comeback Guest by University of Illinois Alumni Association". Illinois College of Law. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "A Conversation with Alumnus Michael Strautmanis, Chief Engagement Officer at the Obama Foundation". Sidley. September 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Obama Campaign Announces Congressional Liaison Team". Obama for America. July 7, 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2008.
  8. 1 2 3 "Revolving Door: Michael Strautmanis Employment Summary". OpenSecrets, Center for Respnosive Politics. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "President-elect Obama announces more key White House staff". Office of the President-Elect. Obama-Biden Transition Project. December 5, 2008. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2008.
  10. ↑ Telephone Directory (PDF). U.S. Agency for International Development. 1999. p. A12.
  11. ↑ "Obama tries to gain distance from Ill. governor". NBC News. Associated Press. December 9, 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Obama's People". New York Times Magazine. January 18, 2009. ISSN 0028-7822. Archived from the original on June 25, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
  13. 1 2 Parnes, Amie (July 23, 2008). "Obama liaison reaches out to Congress". Politico. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  14. ↑ Ackley, Kate; Palmer, Anna (June 15, 2009). "Trial Lawyers Now Playing Defense". Roll Call. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Obama Names Transition Team: Work was underway before the election". USNews. November 5, 2008. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2008.
  16. ↑ Sweet, Lynn (March 13, 2013). "Strautmanis leaving White House". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on July 4, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  17. ↑ "The Barack Obama Foundation Announces Hire of Michael Strautmanis as Vice President of Civic Engagement". Obama Foundation. November 23, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Board of Directors | Lyric Opera of Chicago". www.lyricopera.org. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  19. ↑ Strautmanis, Mike (2018). "Becoming a Man". In Raghavan, Gautam (ed.). West Wingers: Stories from the Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and Hope Creators Inside the Obama White House. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-313329-2.
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