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,António and Deolinda Simas. [2] Deolinda lost two of her fingers in a faulty machine at the silver factory where she worked when David was a child. The Portuguese immigrant lawyer who worked on the case inspired David 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]
Bristol Community College (Bristol) is a public community college with four campuses in Southeastern Massachusetts.
Deval Laurdine Patrick is an American politician,author,businessman,and former civil rights lawyer who served as the 71st governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He was the first African-American Governor of Massachusetts and the first Democratic Governor of the state since Michael Dukakis left office in 1991. Patrick served from 1994 to 1997 as the United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division under President Bill Clinton. He was briefly a candidate for President of the United States in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
Diane Patrick is an American lawyer specializing in labor and employment law. She served as the First Lady of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015 during the gubernatorial tenure of her husband,former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. She was a partner in the labor and employment department of the Boston-based law firm,Ropes &Gray.
The 2008 United States presidential election in Massachusetts took place,as in all 50 states and D.C.,as part of the 2008 United States presidential election of November 4,2008. Voters chose 12 representatives,or electors to the Electoral College,who,in turn,voted for the office of president and vice president.
Valerie June Jarrett is an American businesswoman and former government official serving as the chief executive officer of the Obama Foundation since 2021. She was the longest-serving senior advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama. She was assistant to the president for public engagement and intergovernmental affairs,overseeing the office of the same name,and chaired the White House Council on Women and Girls. Before that,she was the chief executive officer of The Habitat Company and served as a co-chair of the Obama–Biden Transition Project.
Michael Alexander Strautmanis is an American lawyer and political organizer who served as chief of staff to Valerie Jarrett in the White House Office of Public Engagement during the Presidency of Barack Obama. He currently works as Executive Vice President for Public Engagement at the Obama Foundation.
Patrick Hubert Gaspard is an American former diplomat who serves as president of Center for American Progress (CAP),a liberal think tank.
Juan Manuel "Jay" Gonzalez is an American academic and government administrator who is the president of Curry College. He served Secretary of Administration and Finance of Massachusetts under Governor Deval Patrick from 2009 to 2013 and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Massachusetts in 2018.
Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón is a Dominican born American attorney and diplomat who is the United States Ambassador to Spain and Andorra. Most recently,she was the chief of staff to First Lady Jill Biden. She formerly served as a litigation and international arbitration partner with the international law firm Winston &Strawn LLP. She was previously a partner with Chadbourne &Parke LLP,practicing in the firm's International Arbitration and Latin America groups. Reynoso is also affiliated with the faculty at Columbia University School of Law and the School of International and Public Affairs. From March 2012 until December 2014,she served as United States Ambassador to Uruguay. She is a former deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the United States Department of State. President Biden nominated her to be the next United States Ambassador to Spain on July 27,2021,being confirmed on December 18,2021.
Marc R. Pacheco is an American state legislator serving as a member of the Massachusetts Senate from the 1st Plymouth and Bristol district. A member of the Democratic Party,he previously represented the 3rd Bristol district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1989 to 1993.
John Edward Walsh was an American political consultant and campaign manager who managed Deval Patrick's successful 2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial run and Ed Markey's successful 2020 United States Senate reelection campaign. He was chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party from 2007 to 2013 and,from 2020 to 2023,was Markey's chief of staff.
The 2013 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts was held on June 25,2013,in order to fill the Massachusetts Class 2 United States Senate seat for the remainder of the term ending January 3,2015.
William Maurice “Mo”Cowan is an American lawyer who served as a United States Senator from Massachusetts from February 1,2013,to July 15,2013. A member of the Democratic Party,he previously served as legal counsel and chief of staff to Governor Deval Patrick. Patrick appointed him on an interim basis to fill the vacancy left by fellow Democrat John Kerry,who resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State.
Nick Collins is an American politician who currently serves as a member of the Massachusetts Senate,representing First Suffolk District. Collins serves as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight and the Senate Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses. Additionally,he serves a member of the Senate Committee on Bills in the Third Reading,and a member on the Joint Committee's on Bonding,Capital Expenditures and State Assets;Mental Health,Substance Use and Recovery;and Public Service. He is a Boston resident and a Democrat. Elected into the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 2010,he served four terms in the House representing the 4th Suffolk District.
David Jeremiah Barron is an American lawyer who serves as the Chief United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and former S. William Green Professor of Public Law at Harvard Law School. He previously served as the Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Legal Counsel at the United States Department of Justice.
Shawn C. Dooley is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in the 9th Norfolk district,succeeding Dan Winslow. The 9th Norfolk District constitutes all or parts of the Towns of Medfield,Millis,Norfolk,Plainville,Walpole,and Wrentham. A member of the Republican Party,he was sworn in January 29,2014. In 2022,he vacated the seat to run for the Massachusetts State Senate,he was defeated by incumbent Becca Rausch.
Carol A. Doherty is an American educator and politician serving as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 3rd Bristol district. A member of the Democratic Party,she previously served as president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and five terms on the Taunton School Committee.
Jesse H. Ruiz is an American politician,lawyer,and businessman. He has previously held the positions of deputy governor of Illinois for education,chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education,president of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners,vice president of the Chicago Board of Education,and interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools. He currently works in the private sector as chief compliance officer and general counsel to the Vistria Group. He also currently serves as a member of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)