Cecilia Muñoz

Cecilia Muñoz
Director of the Domestic Policy Council
In office January 10, 2012 – January 20, 2017
President	Barack Obama
Deputy	James Kvaal
Preceded by	Melody Barnes
Succeeded by	Andrew Bremberg
Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
In office January 20, 2009 – January 10, 2012
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Elizabeth Dial
Succeeded by	David Agnew
Personal details
Born	(1962-07-27) July 27, 1962 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Amit Pandya
Education	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (BA) University of California, Berkeley (MA)

Cecilia Muñoz (born July 27, 1962) was the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under President Obama, a position she held for five years. Prior to that, she served as the White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for three years. Before working for the White House, she was Senior Vice President for the Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest Latino advocacy organization in the United States.^[1] At NCLR, she supervised all legislative and advocacy activities conducted by NCLR policy staff. She was also the Chair of the Board of the Center for Community Change and served on the U.S. Programs Board of the Open Society Institute and on the boards of directors of the Atlantic Philanthropies and the National Immigration Forum. In 2000, she was named a MacArthur Fellow for her work on civil rights and immigration.^[2] She was featured in several episodes of the documentary series How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories.

Early life and education

Muñoz was born in Detroit, Michigan^[3] the youngest of four children. Her parents had moved to the United States from La Paz, Bolivia, so that her father, an automotive engineer, could go to the University of Michigan. When she was three, the family moved to Livonia, a middle-class, predominantly white Detroit suburb. Muñoz attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. As a volunteer, she worked as a tutor to Hispanic American inmates at the state prison in nearby Jackson. She earned undergraduate degrees in English and Latin American studies in 1984. Following graduation, Muñoz continued her education at the University of California at Berkeley, where she earned a master's degree, also in Latin American Studies.

Obama Administration

As Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Muñoz was the Obama Administration's main liaison with state, local and tribal governments, including the "Big Seven" organizations that represent most state and local officials, including the Council of State Governments, the National Governors Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures. She co-chaired the White House Task Force on Puerto Rico's Political Status, where her work made several politicians from both sides celebrate her designation as head of the Domestic Policy Council.^[4]

Personal

Muñoz is married to Amit Pandya, a human rights lawyer; they have two daughters.

Film

She was featured in the documentary film Last Best Chance,^[5] story twelve of the series How Democracy Work Now, from filmmakers Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini. A cut of the film premiered on HBO in March 2010, under the title The Senator's Bargain.^[6]

Muñoz appeared in Mountains and Clouds,^[7] story 2 in the series How Democracy Works Now, where she and Frank Sharry discuss being at a potential "watershed moment" for comprehensive immigration reform, in 2001. Additionally, she was featured in Ain't the AFL for Nothin',^[8] story seven in the series where she is shown working on a proposal for immigration, in 2003.

See also

• How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories
• Immigration

References

Further reading

• "Congress Weakens Immigration Policies." Associated Press. December 1, 1997.
• Eversley, Melanie. "A Leading Authority: Detroit Native Speaks Out Proudly for Latino Issues." Detroit Free Press. November 3, 1997.
• Hayward, Brad. "Welfare Reform Has Legal Immigrants Wary." Sacramento Bee. September 4, 1996.
• "Immigrants Add $10 Billion to Economy Annually, Study Says." Washington Times. May 19, 1997.
• McDonnell, Patrick J. "Proposed Cutbacks in Aid Alarm Legal Immigrants." Los Angeles Times. July 30, 1996, p. A1.
• Navarrette, Ruben, Jr. "Groups Ask for Cuts in Immigrants." Arizona Republic. November 11, 1997.
• Sample, Herbert A. "Activists Want Food Stamps Restored to Immigrants." Orange County Register. August 22, 1997, p. A15.
• Sun, Lena H. "White House Queries Activist on Citizenship." Washington Post. March 21, 1997, p. A28.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cecilia Muñoz.

• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Works by or about Cecilia Muñoz in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Obama administration personnel
Cabinet and cabinet-level Office Name Term Office Name Term Secretary of State John Kerry 2013–2017 Secretary of Treasury Jack Lew 2013–2017 Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter 2015–2017 Attorney General Loretta Lynch 2015–2017 Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell 2013–2017 Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack 2009–2017 Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker 2013–2017 Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez 2013–2017 Secretary of Health and   Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell 2014–2017 Secretary of Education Secretary of Transportation John King Jr. Anthony Foxx 2016–2017 2013–2017 Secretary of Housing and Urban   Development Julian Castro 2014–2017 Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald 2014–2017 Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz 2013–2017 Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson 2013–2017 Vice President Joe Biden 2009–2017 White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough 2013–2017 Director of the Office of Management and   Budget Shaun Donovan 2014–2017 Administrator of the Environmental   Protection Agency Gina McCarthy 2013–2017 Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power 2013–2017 Chair of the Council of Economic   Advisers Jason Furman 2013–2017 Trade Representative Michael Froman 2013–2017 Administrator of the Small Business Administration Maria Contreras-Sweet 2014–2017 Below solid line: Granted Cabinet rank although not automatically part of the Cabinet. See also: Confirmations of Barack Obama's Cabinet
Executive Office of the President Office Name Term Office Name Term White House Chief of Staff White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Rahm Emanuel Pete Rouse William M. Daley Jack Lew Denis McDonough Mona Sutphen Nancy-Ann DeParle Rob Nabors 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–17 2009–11 2011–13 2013–15 National Security Advisor Deputy National Security Advisor Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan Jim Jones Thomas E. Donilon Susan Rice Thomas E. Donilon Denis McDonough Tony Blinken Avril Haines Douglas Lute† 2009–10 2010–13 2013–17 2009–10 2010–13 2013–14 2015–17 2009–13 White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Jim Messina 2009–11 Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes 2009–17 Alyssa Mastromonaco Anita Decker Breckenridge 2011–14 2014–17 Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security John O. Brennan Lisa Monaco 2009–13 2013–17 White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning Mark B. Childress Kristie Canegallo 2012–14 2014–17 Deputy National Security Advisor and NSC Chief of Staff Denis McDonough 2009–10 Senior Advisor to the President David Axelrod David Plouffe Daniel Pfeiffer Shailagh Murray 2009–11 2011–13 2013–15 2015–17 White House Communications Director Anita Dunn Daniel Pfeiffer Jennifer Palmieri Jen Psaki 2009 2009–13 2013–15 2015–17 Senior Advisor to the President Counselor to the President Pete Rouse Brian Deese Pete Rouse John Podesta 2009–10 2015–17 2011–13 2014–15 Deputy White House Communications Director Jen Psaki Jennifer Palmieri 2009–11 2011–14 Senior Advisor to the President and Assistant to the President for Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs Director of Public Engagement Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Director, National Economic Council Valerie Jarrett Christina Tchen Jon Carson Cecilia Muñoz Jerry Abramson Lawrence Summers Gene Sperling Jeffrey Zients 2009–17 2009–11 2011–13 2009–12 2014–17 2009–10 2011–14 2014–17 White House Press Secretary Deputy Press Secretary Director of Special Projects Director of Speechwriting White House Counsel Robert Gibbs Jay Carney Josh Earnest Bill Burton Josh Earnest Stephanie Cutter Jon Favreau Cody Keenan Greg Craig Robert Bauer Kathryn Ruemmler Neil Eggleston 2009–11 2011–13 2013–17 2009–11 2011–13 2010–11 2009–13 2013–17 2009–10 2010–11 2011–14 2014–17 Deputy Director, National Economic Council Deputy Director, National Economic Council Chair of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board Diana Farrell Brian Deese Jason Furman Paul Volcker 2009–11 2011–13 2009–13 2009–11 Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Phil Schiliro Rob Nabors Katie Beirne Fallon Amy Rosenbaum 2009–11 2011–13 2013–16 2016–17 Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors Christina Romer Austan Goolsbee Jason Furman 2009–10 2010–13 2013–17 Member of the Council of Economic Advisors Katharine Abraham 2011–17 Member of the Council of Economic Advisors Cecilia Rouse 2009–17 Director, Office of Political Affairs Patrick Gaspard 2009–11 Director, Office of Management and Budget Peter R. Orszag Jack Lew Jeffrey Zients Sylvia Mathews Burwell Brian Deese Shaun Donovan 2009–10 2010–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014 2014–17 Chief Technology Officer Chief Information Officer Aneesh Chopra Todd Park Megan Smith Vivek Kundra Steven VanRoekel 2009–12 2012–14 2014–17 2009–11 2011–14 Chief Performance Officer and Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget Jeffrey Zients 2009–13 Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget Jeffrey Liebman Heather Higginbottom Brian Deese 2010 2011–13 2013–15 Director of Scheduling and Advance Director, White House Military Office Alyssa Mastromonaco Danielle Crutchfield Chase Cushman George Mulligan Emmett Beliveau 2009–11 2011–14 2014–17 2009–13 2013–15 United States Trade Representative Director, Domestic Policy Council Ron Kirk Michael Froman Melody Barnes Cecilia Muñoz 2009–13 2013–17 2009–12 2012–17 Cabinet Secretary Chris Lu 2009–13 Deputy Director, Domestic Policy Council Director, Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Heather Higginbottom Joshua DuBois Melissa Rogers 2009–11 2009–13 2013–17 Staff Secretary Lisa Brown Rajesh De Douglas Kramer Joani Walsh 2009–11 2011–12 2012–13 2014–17 Director, Office of Health Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle 2009–11 Deputy Director, Office of Health Reform Jeanne Lambrew 2009–11 Personal Aide to the President Reggie Love 2009–11 Director, Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner 2009–11 Personal Secretary to the President Katie Johnson Anita Decker Breckenridge Ferial Govashiri 2009–11 2011–14 2014–17 Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Heather Zichal 2009–13 Special Projects Coordinator and Confidential Assistant to the President Eugene Kang 2009–11 Director, Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley 2009–14 Director, Office of National AIDS Policy Jeffrey Crowley 2009–11 Chief of Staff to the First Lady   Jackie Norris Christina Tchen 2009 2011–17 Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy Director, Office of Urban Affairs Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy Gil Kerlikowske Michael Botticelli Adolfo Carrión Jr. John Holdren 2009–14 2014–17 2009–10 2009–17 White House Social Secretary Desirée Rogers Julianna Smoot Jeremy Bernard Deesha Dyer 2009–10 2010–11 2011–15 2015–17 *Senate-confirmation pending.   †Remained from previous administration(s).
Office of the Vice President Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Vice President Steve Ricchetti Counsel to the Vice President Cynthia Hogan Counselor to the Vice President Mike Donilon Assistant to the Vice President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison Evan Ryan Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Communications Shailagh Murray Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President Shailagh Murray Deputy National Security Adviser to the Vice President Brian McKeon Residence Manager and Social Secretary for the Vice President and Second Lady Carlos Elizondo National Security Adviser to the Vice President Colin Kahl Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Second Lady Catherine M. Russell Director of Administration for the Office of the Vice President Moises Vela Domestic Policy Adviser to the Vice President Terrell McSweeny Chief Economist and Economic Policy Adviser to the Vice President Jared Bernstein Press Secretary to the Vice President Elizabeth Alexander Deputy Press Secretary to the Vice President Annie Tomasini Director of Legislative Affairs Sudafi Henry Director of Communications for the Second Lady Courtney O’Donnell