White House Correspondents Weekend Insider

Susan Sher with Vice President Biden and son, Graham Moore

Susan S. Sher, former FLOTUS Chief of Staff, is the new Executive Vice President for Corporate Strategy and Public Affairs at the Medical Center of the University of Chicago.  According to an official release, “she will coordinate the Medical Center’s external relations initiatives, develop and oversee corporate-relations strategy and represent the University of Chicago Medical Center to corporate and civic groups. She will also advise Medical Center leadership on a range of strategic and organizational issues, especially as they relate to governance, communications, community engagement and labor relations.  In her role as Senior Adviser, she will advise the President of the University of Chicago on national health care issues and on strengthening the University’s connections to corporate partners throughout Chicago.”

At the White House, Sher helped launch the “Let’s Move” initiative as well as working on health care reform, and other national issues, many of which she gained experience from her previous work at the Medical Center and in Chicago.  From 1993 to 1997 Sher was the first woman to serve as Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago, the city’s chief lawyer,responsible for representing the Mayor, city departments, boards and commissions on all legal matters. Prior to that she was the first Assistant Corporation Counsel, from 1989-93. From 1985 to 1989 she was Associate General Counsel and Director of Labor & Litigation for the University of Chicago.

Read the full release here.

“Bob [Bauer] is a good friend and has served as a trusted advisor for many years. Bob was a critical member of the White House team. He has exceptional judgment, wisdom, and intellect, and he will continue to be one of my close advisors,” said President Obama in a statement announcing the change of staff. Bauer will go back to the private sector to resume his position at Perkins Coie and will work on Obama’s reelection campaign. He will officially leave the White House at the end of June.

Kathryn Ruemmler currently serve’s as Bauer’s deputy and has been at the White House since January of 2010. Ruemmler will be the third White House counsel for this administration (after Bauer and Greg Craig). Prior to the White House, she served at the Department of Justice and, at the office of Latham & Watkins, and was a co-lead prosecutor in the Enron investigations.

For the full announcement go here.

Susan Axelrod, Jen Psaki, Wendi Murdoch and Kaite McCormick Lelyveld at the WHC Garden Brunch

As reported by Politico, First Lady Michelle Obama‘s Press Secretary, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, will be leaving on May 27th to go back to Chicago.

“Obviously, Gibbs’ departure is not the biggest one today,” President Obama joked, referring to the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

So began the 250th press briefing of the Obama Administration and the last time Robert Gibbs stepped behind the podium as the White House Press Secretary.

Obama walked Gibbs into the briefing room after making an official statement to cameras about the situation in Egypt. The president recalled when Gibbs began working for him while he was running for the US Senate in Illinois. “I still didn’t have a lot of money, so all I could afford was Gibbs.”

He then shared a bit of trivia about his keynote address in Boston at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. It was the speech that launched Obama into the national spotlight and set him on the fast track to the White House. But what most of us didn’t know was that they were having a problem deciding which tie Obama should wear. All eyes turned to Gibbs and the blue silk tie around his neck.

Gibbs relented and took off the tie. Obama quipped, [Gibbs was] willing to take one for the Gipper.”

“I have to tell you, that I know there’s a simmering resentment that he never got it back. So as a consequence I wanted here, today, to present on the record, on camera, finally returning Robert’s tie. If he chooses to break the glass, he can,” Obama said as he handed over a frame with the tie, photos and a handwritten note.

“Robert has not only been an extraordinary press secretary but he has been a great friend. You could not ask for somebody better in the foxhole with you.”

Gibbs shook hands and embraced the president who left the room so that he could begin the briefing. While taking his place at the podium, Gibbs joked: “I liked that tie.”

Before jumping into the news of the day, Gibbs took a moment to thank everyone he works with. “It is a tremendous honor and privilege to do this each and every day, to serve and to take part in days like today that are so momentous. I want to thank the president and all of his team for, again, the privilege to serve.”

Watch the briefing here:

The AtlanticWire has also put together some highlights from Gibbs “rocky tenure” and the Los Angeles Times spoke with Gibbs who reflected on tenure as press secretary.

In another sign of a new Obama era, notoriously camera shy David Plouffe, Senior Advisor to the President, is kicking off a new program the White House is calling a “direct line to senior staff.”

With Advise the Advisor, every week a member of senior staff will post a video seeking the opinions and feedback of the American people on different issues. Plouffe kicked off the program with a short video harkening back to the President’s “win the future” State of the Union message.

You can go now to whitehouse.gov/advise and send your thoughts on American innovation. Be sure to check back in to see if your idea passed muster – they promise to read through as much of the feedback as possible and post a summary a few days after the video goes up.