Tina Tchen will replace Susan Sher as Michelle Obama’s Chief of Staff, the White House announced yesterday. Tchen currently serves as the Director of the Office of Public Engagement and the Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls. Valerie Jarrett, Chair of the Council of Women and Girls, described Tchen as “a tireless advocate for women and families, [who] brought that wealth of experience and dedication to the White House Council’s efforts.” Tchen plans to continue to head the Council.
Tchen has known Michelle Obama for over 20 years. Michelle Obama stated, “Tina’s tenure at the White House has focused on ensuring that communities across the country have a voice and a presence at the White House, and her office has worked closely with mine to develop many of our outreach efforts, so she was the natural choice for this role. We particularly share a commitment to nurturing young women and utilizing the White House as a platform for education and inclusion, and I look forward to continuing that work together.”
Prior to working for 2008 Obama campaign, Tchen served as partner at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom for 23 years.
