President Barack Obama has assembled one of the most impressive teams to start off his presidency in the history of the United States. The experience and knowledge possessed by his bi-partisan choices is phenomenal by most standards.
His running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, was Obama’s first pick to join his team. Biden promises to take up challenges not usually delegated to a Vice President, such as the Middle Class Task Force. Having been elected one of the youngest Senators in history at age 29, Biden has served on the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee for years, playing an integral role in the 1994 Crime Bill and the Violence Against Women Act.
Perhaps the most famous member of the team is Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton. Former first lady to President Bill Clinton and Senator of New York for 8 years, she brings with her the vast qualifications as a world leader to the State Department and Foreign Service.
Secretary Timothy Geithner is the head of the Department of the Treasury. Before joining Obama’s team, Geithner served as the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He also formerly worked for the Treasury as well as the International Monetary Fund.
Joining the Obama team after being appointed by former President Bush, Secretary of Defense Bob Gates is the principle architect of the modern military. He previously served as the President of Texas A&M and as Director of Central Intelligence from 1991 to 1993.
Attorney General Eric Holder of the Justice Department was Deputy Attorney General under President Clinton. He has served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and was nominated to become an Associate Judge of the Superior Court in D.C. by President Reagan.
Secretary Ken Salazar of the Department of the Interior was the Senator from Colorado. He served on the Finance, Agriculture, Energy and Natural Resources, Ethics, Veterans Affairs, and Aging Committees. He was integral in crafting the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007 and broadening the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Previously, he served as Colorado’s Attorney General.
Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack serves as Obama’s Secretary of Agriculture. He began as the mayor of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa before becoming a state senator in 1992. He worked with federal and worldwide officials to support independent farmers and ranchers as well as enacting livestock market reform and price regulations.
Secretary Shaun Donovan runs the Housing and Urban Development Department. He worked as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development where he oversaw the construction and preservation of 165,000 homes.
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood served in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. As a Republican, he served as chair or ranking member with Democratic Representative Jame Oberstar. He has worked closely with Oberstar to build a stronger and more efficient transportation system.
Secretary Steven Chu, Ph.D. was the Professor of Physics and Molecular and Cellular Biology at Berkeley before coming on board with the Department of Energy. He is known for his research into cooling and trapping of atoms with laser light, receiving a Nobel Prize in 1997.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan had served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and reorganized the school program both economically and for results.
The Department of Veteran Affairs is led by Secretary Eric Shinseki, a retired four-star general. He has served as Chief of Staff of the Army, he initiated the Stryker Interim-Force Brigade Combat System that reorganized the Army and conceived of the Future Combat Systems program.
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano is the first woman to hold the office after serving as governor in the state of Arizona. She worked as chair of the National Governors’ Association and named top five Governors of 2005 by Time magazine. She also served as Arizona Attorney General.
Rounding out Obama’s team is the White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. He represented Illinois 5th congressional district in the House and acted as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.