Preceded by Elizabeth Dial President Barack Obama Spouse Amit Munoz-Pandya | Name Cecilia Munoz Deputy James Kvaal Succeeded by David Agnew Awards MacArthur Fellowship | |
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Role Former Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Previous office Director of Intergovernmental Affairs (2009–2012) Similar People Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett, Walter Veltroni, Arne Duncan Profiles | ||
Cecilia mu oz keynote speaker chass commencement 2 june 11 2011
Cecilia Muñoz (born July 27, 1962) was the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under President Obama, a position she held for six years. Prior to that, she served as the White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for two 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. 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. She was featured in several episodes of the documentary series How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories.
Contents
- Cecilia mu oz keynote speaker chass commencement 2 june 11 2011
- Interview with cecilia mu oz
- Early life and education
- Obama Administration
- Personal
- Film
- References
Interview with cecilia mu oz
Early life and education
Muñoz was born in Detroit, Michigan 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.
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, 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.
Muñoz appeared in Mountains and Clouds, 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', story seven in the series where she is shown working on a proposal for immigration, in 2003.