|
|
Hi Tashi,
We’re so excited for Fall here at the Obama Foundation! Later this week, alumni will receive an official invitation to our Alumni 44 Presidential Election Night 15th anniversary event in Chicago which will take place on Friday, November 3.
Please note, if you have not filled out our alumni survey in the past year, you will not receive your non-transferable invitation.If you have questions about this, send us an email at 44Al...@obama.org – no need to submit the survey twice. Survey submissions must be completed by October 2 to receive an invite.
Check out the details on this exciting event, the Foundation’s recent work, and alumni updates below. |
|
|
|
|
44 Alumni Reunion Details
|
|
Below are details on the Foundation’s official programming schedule to help plan your travel.
Friday, November 3
3:00pm Check in begins for 15 Year Anniversary Celebration
5:30pm Event begins
8:30pm Event concludes
Where is the main event taking place?
McCormick Place, 2301 S King Drive, Chicago, IL 60616
Where should I stay?
There is no official hotel or roomblock for this event. We suggest staying in the South Loop or downtown where it would be convenient to get to McCormick Place for the main event.
Can I bring a guest?
Unfortunately, the event is invite-only and invites are non-transferable.
Sponsorship Opportunity
Please join fellow Obama alumni to help make this reunion possible. We invite you and/or your company to become a 44 Alumni Sponsor with a gift of $25K. Your support will also be recognized in the list of donors for The Ann Dunham Water Garden at the Obama Presidential Center, which is funded exclusively by 44 Alumni. If you are interested in learning more about the 44 Alumni sponsor level and the corresponding benefits, please let us know by emailing 44Al...@obama.org
and we will provide you with more details. If you cannot make the $25k level, but are still interested in contributing and being part of the Ann Dunham gift, there is no amount too small–-visit the Ann Dunham Campaign webpage to read more and donate.
Additional 44 Alumni Events November 2-4
44 Alumni are also encouraged to put their organizing skills to good use and plan some mini-reunions! There will be a website linked in your invitation that will contain all of this information as well as information on alumni-created events, November 2 through November 4. You will hear directly from event planners about these ancillary functions, but we will make sure to keep attendees posted as well.
Touring the Site of the Center
Finally, the Foundation will provide information to participants on self-guided tours of the area surrounding the future site of the Obama Presidential Center. We urge you to spend some time exploring Jackson Park and other landmarks on Chicago’s historic South Side.
Space for this event is limited, make sure you secure your spot and RSVP as soon as you receive your invite!
|
|
In August, we hosted a small group of Chicago-area 44 Alumni at the Foundation’s office for a view of the Center’s model and a brief presentation about our Chicago programs. After seeing the vision, alumni embarked on a guided bus tour around the construction site of the Center.
We ended the evening with a happy hour hosted by Tina Tchen. As we make enormous strides toward our 2025 open date, we are thrilled to give you an inside look at what we are working on!
|
|
In August, we announced the inaugural cohort of our Leaders USA program and welcomed our 2023-2025 cohort of Voyager Scholarship for Public Service recipients. Learn more about how 44 Alumni are mentoring Voyagers below and let us know if you want to get involved!
In addition to our new cohorts, we also published our 2022 annual report -– detailing the incredible work of the Foundation over the past year–and continued to show up in the community we are proud to call home. We truly can’t wait to see what the next season holds.
|
|
Jason Rahlan is on the left and Michael Gadinis is on the right.
|
|
“When applying for the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service, one of the opportunities that I was most looking forward to was the chance to have structured mentorship from professionals with experience in public service.
Having Jason Rahlan (44 alum) as my Voyager Scholarship mentor has fulfilled everything I had hoped for from this aspect of the program. My first few calls with Jason were centered around us getting to know each other, both in relation to this program and not. In these sessions, Jason not only provided me helpful advice from his experiences in the professional world, but also tailored his advice towards my career goals, pointing me in the direction of both law school and career opportunities.
After a wrench was thrown in my summer voyage plans, Jason was there to help calm me down and figure out how to regroup and still have a fruitful voyage experience. Jason's guidance through this time was invaluable. Not only did he help me reframe my goals for my summer voyage, but he also directed me to specific opportunities that he thought were good fits for me. He reached out to some of his friends who worked in the fields I was interested in, helped me run through mock interviews, and continuously checked-in to make sure I was doing okay. Jason has greatly exceeded the expectations I had for this structured mentorship program. Not only has he provided my guidance for my summer voyage, future studies, and future career, but he has been a compassionate mentor and person to look up to
as I progress through my public service path.” - Michael Gadinis, 2022 - 2024 Voyager
|
|
|
Reminder: Fill Out the Alumni Survey
|
|
The Foundation has dozens of exciting opportunities and events we want to share with you. To stay engaged with our team and your fellow alumni, and ensure you receive invites to future events in 2023 and 2024, please fill out the 44 Alumni Demographic Survey and let us know a little more about you.
|
|
|
Obama Presidential Center - Campaign Volunteer Stories |
|
As we build the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, we want to make sure future visitors are able to hear directly from the people who made the Obama presidency possible. A few years ago, we put out an open call for stories from the 2008 campaign and received hundreds of submissions.
However, we know that even more alumni have stories of volunteers and supporters who embodied what made the campaign special. If you have a story of a former volunteer you’d like our team to know about, fill out this Google Form and tell us why you think their story needs to be told.
|
|
We’ll continue to share updates about what your fellow alumni are up to–weddings, births, announcements, new projects, and significant work milestones. Learn more about a few 44 Alumni below!
-
Tanya Bradsher was confirmed by the Senate earlier this month and will serve as first female Deputy Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
-
Josh Bender became Solicitor General of Arizona earlier this year. Josh and Erin Scharff, a tenured law professor at ASU, started the Phoenix Legal Action Network (PLAN) with friends. PLAN promotes justice in Arizona by building community trust and power with immigrant-led organizations to advance the rights of immigrants and their families.
-
Asheesh S. Bhalla has been appointed as General Counsel and Director of Operations of the Nevada Clean Energy Fund.
-
Alejandra Campoverdi recently published her memoir FIRST GEN (Sept '23, Grand Central Publishing). FIRST GEN is a broad examination of the emotional toll of social mobility for first generation young people, using her own story as a framework.
-
Ron Carson is now the Founder and CEO of the Cool Action Suit. Ron's company just received its second US patent for the world's first patented, completely dri-fit business suit for both men and women.
-
Cam Davis and Polk Brothers Foundation announced their Chief of Staff job posting. This position is for an experienced, empathetic leader and creative strategist who will work closely with the CEO and leadership team in implementing strategic initiatives, developing plans, and managing special projects for the Foundation.
-
Henry De Sio, Jr. was recently appointed Chief Operating Officer at the United Nations Foundation to be a strategic partner to the UN to address humanity’s greatest challenges.
-
Augusto Goncalves, an Obama 2012 Alumnus, was appointed to serve in the Biden/Harris administration as an Advisor at the U.S. Department of Labor.
-
Jamia Jowers accepted a position as Executive Director of The What’s Your Forté Foundation in Chicago. Jamia also leads the Chicago Refugee Coalition as President of the Board; the Coalition was recognized by USA for UNHCR for their climate justice & green initiatives through their Food Banking Program.
-
John Oxtoby was recognized as one of Crain’s Chicago Business 2023 Notable Leaders in Sustainability.
-
Felicity Pereyra and her husband, Ashraf Divecha, recently welcomed their first daughter, Nina Alamai Divecha Pereyra, into the world. Felicity was the Deputy Data Director in Colorado during the 2012 re-election and is currently the Principal Consultant at her firm, Elevate Strategies.
-
Alice Phillips and her husband Bryce Bancroft (who proposed in the Dip Room when she was an intern!) celebrated their 10 year wedding anniversary in June. Alice also recently had her first satire piece published in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency.
-
Jesse Regis is the author of “F*CK IT, I’M BUYING A CABIN,” an adult picture book that “follows the journey of Sarah, a millennial who decides to ditch the city and head for the hills in search of a simpler, more satisfying life.”
-
Tom Shaw was recently hired as Director of Communications and Marketing for the Greater Washington Partnership.
-
Former Ambassador Alan Solomont and Dean Emeritus of Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, received an honorary degree from Tufts this May. He is currently the national board chair of J Street, and was recently appointed by President Biden to the Holocaust Memorial Museum Council.
-
Mary Smith was recently installed as President of the American Bar Association and is the first Native American woman to hold that role.
-
Robert Stephens recently joined Democrats for Education Reform as the Chief of State Operations. In this role, Robert will oversee executive directors in eight states who are fighting to ensure children receive a high-quality education.
-
Clarence Tong started a new role as the Head of U.S. Federal Relations for Carrier in Washington, DC.
-
Rex Young joined Plus Power, LLC, a Houston-based developer of utility-scale battery energy storage systems. As Senior Permitting Manager, Rex will help obtain all regulatory approvals necessary to construct battery storage projects and decarbonize our electric grid.
Do you have news you’d like to see included? Let us know using this Google Form, or by sending an email describing your update in 1-2 sentences to 44al...@obama.org.
Condolences: We are saddened to share the news that one of our alumni passed away recently. Please send these notifications to 44al...@obama.org.
-
Jesús Castillo Ruiz, a 2012 Field Organizer in Washington state, passed away peacefully on February 19 after a brief illness. Being a field organizer was a second act for Jesús, who had a long career in public service and then decided to join a campaign late in his working years. Jesús was a beloved husband and brother.
Thank you for all that you do.
Warmly,
—Valerie
Valerie Jarrett
CEO
Obama Foundation
|
|
You received this email at tashic...@gmail.com because you subscribed to updates from the Obama Foundation.
The Barack Obama Foundation | 5235 S. Harper Ct, Suite 1140, Chicago, IL, USA 60615
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
