WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)- The Office of the First Lady announced on Tuesday, Nov. 16, that Susan Sher, Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama, will be returning to Chicago after the first of the year, after nearly two years of service. Sher started in the White House Counsel’s Office in January, 2009, to support the Office of the First Lady. In this role, she also worked on the Administration’s health care reform efforts. In June, 2009, Sher moved to the East Wing to serve as Chief of Staff to the First Lady.
“Susan has been both a colleague and a dear friend for decades, and I have been grateful every day for her leadership and wise counsel in Washington,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “I also very much appreciate her generosity in staying longer than she initially planned – spending so many months away from her family in Chicago – to help me build my office in the East Wing. I wish her all the best.”
“Susan has brought tremendous skill and dedication to the First Lady’s office, as well as my Administration’s outreach to the Jewish Community and our efforts to pass health care reform, and I thank her for her service,” President Obama said.
A replacement has not yet been determined.
National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) Chairman Marc R. Stanley and President and CEO David A. Harris later issued the following statement Tuesday, Nov. 16:
“Susan has been a true friend to both the NJDC and the Jewish community, and we cannot thank her enough for the critical work that she did over the past two years. She always approached her job with kindness, compassion and a true willingness to be accessible to those around her.
“Susan was instrumental in raising issues of concern to American Jews to the highest levels of the Obama Administration. She helped foster a crucial on-going dialogue between our community and officials at the White House. We will miss having the opportunity to work with Susan on a regular basis and we wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.”
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Precding provided by National Jewish Democratic Council