By Jueseppi B.

From The White House Blog:

Meet the Next White House Chief of Staff

By  Matt Compton   January 25, 2013

President Barack Obama announces Denis McDonough as his Chief of Staff, replacing Jack Lew, the President’s nominee for Treasury Secretary, in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 25, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)

President Obama today tapped Denis McDonough to serve as his Chief of Staff and lead the team at the White House.

McDonough, 43, was previously the Deputy National Security Advisor. He began his career as a staffer on Capitol Hill — where he served in both in the House of Representatives and in the Senate. In the White House, he previously served as the head of strategic communications for the National Security Council and as the NSS chief of staff.

“Denis has played a key role in every major national security decision of my presidency,” the President said, “from ending the war in Iraq to winding down the war in Afghanistan; from our response to natural disasters around the world like Haiti and the tsunami in Japan to the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ to countless crises in between, day and night — and that includes many nights. I’ve actually begun to think that Denis likes pulling all-nighters. The truth is nobody out-works Denis McDonough.”

The two were joined by the outgoing chief of staff — Jack Lew — who President Obama has appointed to serve as Secretary of the Treasury Department.

“As I said earlier this month, I could not be more grateful to Jack Lew for his amazing service, first as our OMB Director, then at the State Department, and ultimately as my Chief of Staff,” the President said.

Read the full remarks from the event here. Or watch the video of the announcement

Photo of the day: The President runs with new WH Chief of Staff Denis McDonough’s kids on the White House colonnade (Pete Souza)

Now For Some Diversity……….

President Obama Announces Key White House Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced the following individuals will serve in key White House posts:

• Denis McDonough – White House Chief of Staff

 
• Rob Nabors – Assistant to the President and Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Policy

 
• Antony Blinken – Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor

 
• Danielle Gray – Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary

 
• Katy Kale – Assistant to the President for Management and Administration

 
• Lisa Monaco – Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and Deputy National Security Advisor

 
• Jennifer Palmieri – Assistant to the President and Communications Director

 
• Dan Pfeiffer – Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor

 
• Miguel Rodriguez –Assistant to the President and Director of Legislative Affairs

 
• David Simas – Assistant to the President and Deputy Senior Advisor for Communications and Strategy

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov:

Inauguration Weekend: On Saturday, Americans across the country took part in the National Day of Service, a project started four years ago to honor the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The First Family kicked off the weekend at Burrville Elementary School in Washington, D.C. where they worked on school improvements. Watch the President and First Lady speak at the service event here.

On Sunday, in accordance with the Constitution which states the President must take the oath of office on January 20 in the year of an inauguration, President Obama and Vice President Biden were officially sworn in. Check out  video of the President taking the oath at the White House and the Vice President taking the oath at the Naval Observatory.

Inauguration Day: On Monday, President Obama delivered hisInaugural Address to the country and was publicly sworn in for a second term. Fittingly on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President Obama shared his vision for a second term. President Obama said, “My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together.”

Check out the 57^th Presidential Inauguration page, which includes our featured video on opportunities to interact with the White House, graphics to share on Facebook and a photo gallery from the historic weekend.

• Watch the full address here.

• Listen to the speech here.

• Watch the complete Inauguration Ceremony here.

• Watch the President and Vice President speak at an Inaugural Luncheon here.

• Watch Highlights from the 2013 Inaugural Parade here.

Surprise: On Tuesday, the President and the First Lady were in the Blue Room where they surprised visitors during their White House tour. The First Lady used her new Twitter account to let followers know what was happening beforehand.

See what is like to be surprised by the President and follow@FLOTUS  to receive real time updates and special messages from the First Lady and the Office of the First Lady.

Fireside Hangouts: On Thursday, Vice President Biden took part in the latest “Fireside Hangout” hosted by Google. The Vice President outlined the Administration’s plan to protect our communities from gun violence, while answering questions from participants.

The virtual roundtable can be seen in its entirety here and you can join us on the White House’s Google+ page for ways you can become involved with the next hangout.

White and Cordray Nominated: On Thursday, President Obama nominated Mary Jo White for head of the Securities and Exchange Commission and called for Richard Cordray to continue as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Both can play pivotal roles in the financial sector as White will be asked to keep Wall Street and banks accountable, while Cordray will oversee the laws that protect everyday Americans.

“These are people with proven track records,” said President Obama. “They are going to look out for the American people, for American consumers, and make sure that our marketplace works better — more transparently, more efficiently, more effectively.”

Filed under: Business, Causes, Celebrity, Congress, Democrats/Democratic, Education, Finance, Good News, Gun Control, Gun Violence, History, Inauguration, Jill Biden, Joy & Happiness, Michelle Obama, News, Photographs, Politics, POTUS Obama, The White House, The White House Daily Snapshot, Videos, World News | Tagged: Barack Obama, Denis McDonough, Deputy National Security Advisor, Deputy White House Chief of Staff, Jack Lew, Jacob Lew, Martin Luther King, White House | Leave a Comment »