Current Position: Senior Adviser to the Corporation for National and Community Service (since June 2009)
Boss: N/A
Credit: The White House
Why She Matters
Norris is an Iowa insider who spent two years working for President Barack Obama in Iowa and was instrumental in both his Democratic caucus and general election victories there.
After the campaign, she was named chief of staff for Michelle Obama. She returned to Washington, where she began her career as a congressional staffer before moving to the White House to work for Al Gore.
Norris worked closely with Michelle Obama as she decided what issues to tackle at the beginning of her husband's administration. The First Lady made issues surrounding working families and military families her top priority and also focused on promoting healthy food.
Norris left the East Wing in June 2009 to take a position as senior adviser to the Corporation for National and Community Service. Longtime Obama friend Susan Sher replaced her as the First Lady's chief of staff.
At a Glance
Current Position: Senior Adviser to the Corportation for National and Community Service (since June 2009)
Career History: Chief of staff for First Lady Michelle Obama (January 2009 to June 2009); High school government and history teacher (2002 to 2005)
Birthday: N/A
Hometown: Ossining, New York
Alma Mater: State University of New York-Geneseo; Iowa State
Spouse: John
Religion: N/A
DC Office: N/A
Email N/A
Web site
Path to Power
Norris, a New York native, went to college at SUNY’s Geneseo campus. After graduation, she worked on Capitol Hill, spending seven years in the office of Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-N.Y.) before going to the White House. There Norris worked as Vice President Al Gore’s scheduler and as director of Scheduling and Advance for HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo.
In 1998, she left the White House and moved to Iowa, where she worked on Tom Vilsack’s (D) gubernatorial campaign. She also served as Gore’s political director for Iowa during the 2000 presidential election.
Then Norris moved out of politics. She earned her secondary education teacher certification from Iowa State University in 2002 and became a high school government and history teacher.Norris went back to school again in 2005 after earning a fellowship for her work as a teacher. She studied the mobilization of young voters at Iowa State.
Norris joined Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2007 and put her studies to the test, organizing huge number of voters for Obama during both the Iowa Democratic caucuses and the general election. “We are grateful to have Jackie play this important role in our organization,” campaign manager David Plouffe said after Norris was appointed Iowa state director for the general election. “The network of volunteers and grassroots energy built up during the historic primary season has given us an enormous and unprecedented opportunity in the general election.
The Issues
Norris worked as state director for both the Iowa caucuses in January 2008 and then for the general election. Massive turnout characterized the 2008 Iowa caucuses, which Obama won overwhelmingly. His victory there acted as a springboard for the Democratic primaries that followed. During the general election, Obama won Iowa with 54 percent of the vote.
But Norris’ job in the White House didn’t have anything to do with her expertise in Iowa. Michelle Obama had an ambitious public agenda in addition to being First Mom.In Chicago, she worked with Public Allies, a public service program that trains people to be community leaders. She said she would like to continue her work with that group and others that promote public service.
Obama also advocated working families and military families, particularly those who are struggling economically, to try to help them get back on their feet. “I want to figure out how we explore ways to be creative in terms of support and then use some of those models in the broader society,” Obama said.
The Network
Norris and her husband John Norris are Iowa’s premier political power couple. John was former Gov.
Tom Vilsack’s (D-Iowa) chief of staff and ran for Congress himself in 2002 before running Sen.
John F. Kerry’s (D-Mass.) successful campaign during the Iowa caucuses in 2004. Norris also worked as a scheduler for both Vice President
Al Gore and HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo. She joined
Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2007 and became chief of staff for
Michelle Obama after the campaign.
