By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Producer  

Nov. 10, 2008 – Longtime family friend Valerie Jarrett is rumored to be Illinois Gov. Ray Blagojevich‘s (D) pick to fill the president-elect Barack Obama’s senate seat until 2010.

Jarrett met both the Obama’s in the early 1990’s when she hired Michele Obama to work for her as an aide to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.  A seasoned political veteran in Chicago politics, Jarrett worked for the first African-American mayor of Chicago, Harold Washington.

Obama turned to Jarrett for advice when deciding to run for the U.S. Senate.  Considered to be one of his closet and trusted advisers. 

Jarrett, who is African-American, was born in Shiraz, Iran. Her father Dr. James Bowman ran a hospital for children as part of an exchange program; providing American doctors and agricultural experts to developing countries. 

Her family returned to Chicago in 1963. In 1973 she graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon a boarding school in Massachusetts; then went on to receive her B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University in 1978 followed by her Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981.

Her professional bio includes:

• Since 1996 she has been the CEO of The Habitat Company, a real estate development and management company. 

• She was a Member of the Board of Chicago Stock Exchange from 2000-2007, and  Chairwoman from 2004-2007.

• Deputy Corporation Counsel for Finance and Development in 1987 for Mayor Harold Washington.

• She was Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Richard Daley in 1991

• She was the Chair of the Chicago Transit Board from 1995 to 2005

• She served as Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development for Chicago from 1992 through 1995

• She was the Chair of the Chicago Transit Board from 1995 to 2005

Jarrett also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago Medical Center, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago and a Trustee of Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, and on the board of directors of USG Corporation, a Chicago based building materials corporation.

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