White House Fellows Program – Deadline January 15th

All of us know people in the early parts of their careers who have demonstrated great potential for private and/or public sector leadership. One of the best opportunities to build on their leadership skills is the prestigious White House Fellows Program.

I am writing to ask your assistance in reaching out to potential applicants for the White House Fellows Program. In the next few weeks, White House Fellows recruitment events will take place in California, including one in Sacramento that I will be hosting. It is my hope that you will share this invitation with those you know who are deserving of and well-suited for “America’s most prestigious program for leadership and public service.” Please forward this email to potential candidates, as well as colleagues who will also be able to share with others.

The White House Fellows Program, founded in 1964 by President Lyndon Baines Johnson, offers exceptional men and women first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government. It was a great honor for me to be awarded the Fellowship in 1995. During my Fellowship year I worked directly for United States Attorney General Janet Reno as her Special Assistant.

White House Fellows spend a year working as full-time, paid special assistants to senior White House Staff, the Vice President, Cabinet Secretaries and other top-ranking government officials. Fellows also participate in a once-in-a-lifetime education program consisting of off-the-record, roundtable discussions with renowned leaders from the private and public sectors, and take trips to study leaders and policy in action both domestically and internationally. Fellowships are awarded on a strictly competitive, non-partisan basis. One goal of the Fellowship is that Fellows return to their communities and private or public sector careers with additional leadership skills and insights gained from working with the nation’s top public sector leaders.

The program has fostered a legacy of leadership, with nearly 600 alumni who are respected leaders in a variety of fields and professions. Alumni include former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, General Wesley Clark, CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, former National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane, former President of the MIT Corporation Dana Mead, and countless other leaders in our country.

Applications are now available online and must be postmarked by 5:59 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 for the 2013-2014 Class. The program commences in September of each year. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Employees of the Federal government are not eligible unless they are career military personnel. There are no age restrictions; however the program was created to give remarkable young Americans this experience while they were early to mid-career. Fellows typically are between 26 and 38 years of age. Applicants must have completed their undergraduate studies and be working in their chosen professions at the time of consideration. More information about the program can be found here or by calling the program office at (202) 395-4522.

Thank you in advance for your time and energy in helping us reach out to promising applicants in your organization and networks. Please forward this letter to anyone you think might be interested and qualified. The White House Fellows program is an amazing opportunity. I strongly encourage those who are interested and eligible to apply.