Valerie Jarrett: husband, daughter, ethnicity, religion, net worth
Valerie Jarrett is a renowned businessperson, executive, politician, and lawyer. Since the late 1980s, she has served in many political offices, both at a local and national level. She is a quiet figure but became a common name in America when she served as a Senior Advisor to President Barrack Obama. Since then, her name has always been on the news for the right reasons.
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Throughout her time in politics, Valerie Jarrett mobilised elected officials, community and business leaders, and diverse groups of advocates to strengthen and improve American businesses and economy. She fought for equality and opportunity for all Americans and was an influential figure in the campaigns against sexual assault.
Valerie Jarrett bio summary
- Full name: Valerie June Jarrett
- Citizenship: American
- Age: 64 years
- Date of birth: 14 November 1956
- Birthplace: Shiraz, Iran
- Parents: Barbara T. Bowman(mother), James E. Bowman (father)
- Height: 1.68 m (5 feet 6 inches)
- Profession: Lawyer, Businesswoman, Politician, Author
- Marital status: Divorced
- Ethnicity: Multiracial
- Education: Stanford University, Northfield Mount Hermon, University of Michigan Law School
Early life
Where was Valerie Jarrett born? Valerie was born on 14th November in 1956 in Shiraz, Iran. Her parents are James E Bowman (father) and Barbra T Bowman (mother). Valerie Jarrett ethnicity is multiracial as both her parents have European and African-American descent.
Source: Instagram
Valerie spent most of her childhood travelling in across the world due to her parent's professions. In 1961, Jarrett and her family moved to London where they stayed for two years before relocating to Chicago's Hyde Park area in 1963. As a result, she got exposed to different cultures and languages including English, French, and Persian.
In 1974, Valerie Jarrett graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon, a co-educational preparatory school in Mount Hermon, Massachusetts. Later on, she joined Stanford University where she studied psychology.
In 1978, Jarrett graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. In 1981, she received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
Family, husband, and children
When was Valerie Jarrett married? The American lawyer married William Robert Jarrett in 1983. The two spent four years together before separating in 1987. In 1988, they ended their union through a divorce. Her ex-husband died on 19 November 1993.
So, how did Valerie Jarrett's husband die? Valerie Jarrett husband, William Robert Jarrett, died at the age of 40 from cardiac arrest. Before his demise, he was the director of obstetrics and gynaecology at Jackson Park Hospital. He suffered from a rare rheumatological condition called Behcet's Syndrome.
Before ending their marriage, Valerie and Jarrett had one daughter called Laura Jarrett. Valerie Jarrett's daughter is a lawyer and journalist. She works for CNN as an anchor of Early Start. Laura graduated from Harvard Law School in 2010.
On a personal level, Valerie Jarrett has kept her spiritual life out of the public. That is despite being born in Iran, an Islamic country. Therefore, Valerie Jarrett's religion or spiritual beliefs remain unknown.
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Professional career
Source: Instagram
Valerie Jarrett began her professional career in the early 1980s working in real estate and corporate law. In 1987, she left law for politics and went to work for Mayor Harold Washington’s administration.
Jarrett took on the position of deputy counsellor for finance and development. Throughout her period at the Mayor’s office, she took different roles, even in subsequent administrations. At one time, she became deputy chief of staff and planning commissioner.
Between 1995 and 2007, Valerie Jarrett held many political and business positions in Chicago. She was appointed the executive vice president of the Habitat Company in 1995.
Additionally, Jarrett worked as the chairwoman of the Chicago Transit Board until 2005. She was elected chairwoman of the board of the Chicago Stock Exchange in 2005. In 2007, she became the CEO of the Habitat Company.
In 2004, Jarrett served as the finance chairperson of Obama’s 2005 Senate campaign. She also became the treasurer of his political action committee.
When Barrack Obama was elected president in 2008, Valerie Jarrett served as the co-chair of his transition team. After his swearing-in, Barrack Obama appointed her as the assistant to the president for intergovernmental relations and public liaison and senior advisor.
Jarrett continued to work in the Obama administration even when he served his second term in office. Between 2008 and 2016, she held many positions in the administration including:
- Senior Advisor to the President.
- Assistant to the president for intergovernmental relations and public liaison.
- White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs.
- Office of Urban Affairs.
- White House Council on Women and Girls.
- White House Office of Olympic, Paralympic, and Youth Sport.
- White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.
While she achieved a lot under President Obama, Jarrett advanced many progressive measures in the administration. She played a crucial role in including free birth control in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
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Between 2017 and 2021, Jarrett continued to hold several positions in various sectors. She became a senior advisor to the Obama Foundation. As of 2020, she is the interim president of the Obama Foundation. In 2017, Ariel Investments appointed her to the board of directors. Other positions include:
- Member of 2U, Inc board of directors
- Member of Lyft Inc board of directors
- Member of Walgreens board of directors
- Senior Advisor to ATTN
- Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- Valier is the co-Chair of various organisations in America, including:
- Member of The United State of Women board of directors.
- Chair of the board of When We All Vote.
Notably, she is a distinguished senior fellow at the University of Chicago Law School in January 2018.
Valerie Jarrett books
Valerie Jarrett has written one book. In 2017, she wrote the book, Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward. She recounts her journey to the White House and beyond, starting with her remarkable family, unusual childhood, her efforts to create a suitable career and household, and the extraordinary events that have stemmed from her affiliation with the Obamas.
Movies and TV shows
Valerie Jarrett has appeared once in a TV series. In 2013, she made an appearance in the legal and political drama series, The Good Wife. But several production houses have featured her in many documentaries over the years. The most notable ones are:
- First Ladies (2020)
- Punch 9 for Harold Washington (2020)
- Through the Fire: The Legacy of Barack Obama (2017)
- The 44th President: In His Own Words (2017)
- Inside Obama's White House (2016)
- Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2014)
Valerie Jarrett net worth
The estimated net worth of Valerie Jarrett is $2.14 million. She has made her money from the salaries she received as a lawyer, businesswoman, and politician. According to Wallmine, Valerie owns 3,000 units of Lyft Inc. Stock worth over $900,000. Also, she is an Independent Director at Lyft Inc., a job that pays her over $300,000.
Valerie Jarrett is an American businesswoman, lawyer, and politician. She is famous for being the Senior Advisor to President Barrack Obama from 2009 to 2017. Throughout her political career, she championed for equality and opportunity for all Americans. Jarrett has one child called Laura Jarrett.
Yen.com.gh recently published a story on Dan Bullock, who was the youngest soldier to die in the Vietnam war. Unknown to many, Bullock was a young black man who was drafted to the army at the age of 14.
Bullock would then be drafted for the Vietnamese war at 15 and he was killed a month later. The heart-breaking story follows the young courageous soldier’s dream of earning a living while in the military only for his life to be cut short.
Source: YEN.com.gh
