Office of Public Liaison
Leadership Bios
Valerie Jarrett
Valerie Jarrett is Senior Adviser to the President, overseeing the Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs. Read her complete bio.
Tina Tchen
Christina M. Tchen is Director of Public Liaison.
Prior to her appointment, Tina Tchen was a partner in corporate litigation at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. In that capacity, 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. She served on the board of the Chicago Bar Foundation; she also served as Chair of the Board of Field Foundation of Illinois and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Chicago Public Library and the Board of the Chinese American Service League.
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). She was selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2008 and The Best Lawyers in America 2009. She also was selected as one of the top three women business lawyers in Illinois by the Leading Lawyers Network 2007.
Michael Strautmanis
Michael Strautmanis is Chief of Staff to the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison.
A native of Chicago, Strautmanis first came to know the Obamas when he worked as a paralegal at the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin for Mrs. Michelle Obama.
After law school, Strautmanis practiced complex litigation and employment law in Chicago, before joining the Clinton Administration at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Following this, he served as Counsel for Legislation for the American Association of Justice. Strautmanis served as Chief Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff to then-Senator Obama in the United States Senate. He continued as Senior Counsel for Obama for America, where he played a leading role in political outreach as a member of the Congressional Relations team.
Strautmanis received a B.S. from the University of Illinois, and a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law. He and his wife Damona are the proud parents of three.
