David Simas | |
---|---|
White House Director of Political Affairs | |
In office January 24, 2014 –December 19, 2016 | |
President | Barack Obama |
Preceded by | Patrick Gaspard (2011) |
Succeeded by | Bill Stepien |
Personal details | |
Born | David Matos Simas January 5,1970 Taunton,Massachusetts,U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Shauna |
Children | 2 |
Education | Stonehill College (BA) Boston College (JD) |
David Matos Simas [1] [2] (born January 5,1970) [2] [1] is an American lawyer,former government official,and a former politician. He was the President of the Obama Foundation from 2021 to 2023, [3] having previously served as its CEO from 2016 to 2021 [4] [5] and served in Barack Obama's administration as the White House Director of Political Affairs from 2014 to 2016. [6] [7]
Simas was born and raised in Taunton,Massachusetts,the son of Portuguese American immigrant parents,Antonio and Deolinda Simas. [2] Simas lost two of her fingers in a faulty machine at the silver factory where she worked when Simas was a child. The Portuguese immigrant lawyer who worked on the case inspired Simas to become a lawyer. [5] He attended Coyle and Cassidy High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stonehill College. [2] He later earned a Juris Doctor from the Boston College Law School in 1995. [6]
Simas began his political career working as an intern in Senator Edward M. Kennedy's office in 1989. [8] He was later elected to the Taunton School Board in 1993 and the Taunton City Council in 1997 and 1999. [8] [9] He later served as president of the council and worked as an advisor to the mayor of Taunton. [9]
After leaving the city council he served as an assistant register of deeds for the Northern district office of the Bristol County Registry of Deeds. [10] He was later elected as the new Register of Deeds of the Northern district of Bristol County in 2004. [11] He won reelection in 2006 but later resigned to accept a position in Governor Deval Patrick's administration. [11]
He formerly served as deputy general counsel to the Massachusetts House of Representatives Post Audit and Oversight Bureau and practiced law with the law firm of Gay &Gay Associates,PC. [9] [1]
He worked as deputy chief of staff to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick from 2007 until 2009. In 2009,he joined the Obama White House as a deputy assistant to the president,working under Senior Advisor David Axelrod.
He worked as director of opinion research for President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign and then served as a liaison between the president and Democratic officials for two and a half years. [12]
Simas was appointed CEO of the Obama Foundation in December 2016. [4]
Simas married his high school sweetheart,Shauna. They have two daughters and live in Hyde Park in Chicago. [2] [5]
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