by Kathryn Traver 

As the festivities die down from Barack Obama's historic inauguration, his new development team is starting to take shape. BCLC is committed to keeping you informed of the latest nominations, confirmations and appointments that relate to our programming. 

One of the most significant appointments for the field of corporate citizenship is that of Valerie Jarrett, who was recently named Public Liaison at the White House and Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs. 

Prior to her appointment, Jarrett was Co-Chair of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team and Senior Advisor to Obama's presidential campaign.  She is currently representing the Obama Administration at the World Economic Forum in Davos, focusing on issues that cut across all four of BCLC's program areas.

BCLC will also be following developments in two new offices at the White House, the Office of Urban Affairs Policy, which will coordinate federal efforts to help America's cities, and the Office of Social Innovation.

With housing issues at the forefront of the economic crisis, BCLC's Corporate Community Investment program will track this and related developments at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, where Secretary Shaun Donovan is confirmed to take office. Donovan was previously the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

BCLC's Global Corporate Citizenship program continues to grow overseas. We have a development forum scheduled for April in Brussels, while at home, former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is confirmed as Secretary for the Department of State. 

In her welcome address, Secretary Clinton stated, "There are three legs to the stool of American foreign policy: defense, diplomacy, and development. And we are responsible for two of the three legs. And we will make clear, as we go forward, that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States. And I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America's future."

In addition, Susan Rice, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under President Clinton, was named Representative of the U.S. to the United Nations. 

We are also tracking leadership developments at Millennium Challenge Corporation and USAID and will announce those confirmations once they are decided.

BCLC's Disaster Assistance and Recovery program staff will continue to communicate the business sector’s response and recovery priorities to the federal government – and we’ll make sure that the importance of resiliency and sustainable re-development is not overlooked. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is now being led by former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, who was confirmed by the Senate on January 20th. For now, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) remains a part of DHS, but much of the leadership has yet to be appointed. 

BCLC will also continue to work extensively with the U.S. Small Business Administration, which is now headed by private equity investor, Karen Gordon Mills (awaiting confirmation).

We will report on the initiatives of all of these offices as we work to build better business and society relations. For links to appointees’ biographies and a FEMA organizational chart, go to BCLC’s website.