Santa Barbara Resident Named White House Fellow

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/062609_santa_barbara_resident_named_white_house_fellow/

By MIchelle Nelson, Noozhawk Staff Writer

Direct Relief executive Annie Maxwell will participate in the yearlong leadership program in Washington, D.C.

Longtime Santa Barbara resident Annie Maxwell, 30, is one of 15 men and women selected to serve as White House Fellows, the White House announced Friday.

The 2009-10 class of White House Fellows represents a diverse cross-section of professions including medicine, business, media, education, nonprofit and state government, as well as two branches of the U.S. military.

Maxwell is the chief operating officer of Direct Relief International, a nonprofit that provides humanitarian assistance for people affected by poverty or disasters in 59 countries including the United States.

She joined Direct Relief in 2002 and now oversees the day-to-day activities of the organization. From 2005 to 2006, Maxwell was seconded to the U.N. Office of the Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, led by former President Bill Clinton, in which she served as the partnerships and outreach officer.

Maxwell served as chairwoman and vice chairwoman of the Alumni Board of Governors at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy and as a member of the founding Board of Directors for the nonprofit Wizzy Digital.

She also volunteers as a youth volleyball coach. In 2007, she was selected for the Marshall Memorial Fellowship.

“We are thrilled that these exceptional men and women will be joining us here in Washington for the next year,” first lady Michelle Obama said. “The program not only allows for a variety of perspectives to come together, offering expertise and experience to benefit the administration’s efforts, but these Fellows in turn carry what they’ve learned to their own communities to benefit Americans far beyond the walls of the White House.”

Selection as a White House Fellow is highly competitive and based on professional achievement, leadership potential, public service, and the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute at the highest levels of the federal government.

The program was created in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to give promising U.S. leaders “firsthand, high-level experience with the workings of the federal government, and to increase their sense of participation in national affairs.”

“This is a tremendous honor for Ms. Maxwell, her family and our entire community and we are very proud of her,” said Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara. “Ms. Maxwell is an exceptional individual who has used her many talents to serve others, both in her work at Direct Relief International and in service to our community as a volunteer. The White House is fortunate to have her expertise and experience, and I wish her well as she starts this new endeavor in service to our country.”

The Fellows will take part in an education program designed to broaden their knowledge of leadership, policy formulation, military operations and current affairs. Fellows also will participate in community service projects throughout the year in the Washington area.

Click here for more information about the White House Fellows program.

— Noozhawk staff writer Michelle Nelson can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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