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Laura Schwartz

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Laura Schwartz
File:Schwartz-5383hs.jpg
Laura Schwartz August 2011
Born
Laura Denise Schwartz

(1973-04-19) April 19, 1973 (age 51)
Occupation(s)Speaker
Author of Eat, Drink & Succeed
International Television personality
Years active1993–present
Known forServing as the White House Director of Events, the Clinton Administration
Websitehttp://www.WhiteHouseStrategies.com/

Laura Schwartz, the White House Director of Events for the Clinton Administration, is a professional speaker, Author of Eat, Drink & Succeed and well known international television commentator. She was the Fox News Channel on-air Political Analyst 2004–2007, a special correspondent for CNN's Larry King Live for the primaries Fall 2007-Summer 2008 and is now on the CBS Early Show domestically and internationally can be seen on the BBC, GMTV in London and alongside Sir David Frost in "Frost Over the World." Prior to serving as the White House Director of Events was the White House Director of Television and White House Midwest Press Secretary. Ms. Schwartz was the youngest female hire for any office held within the Executive Office of the President in 1993.[1]

Growing Up in Wisconsin

Laura grew up in the heartland of America. She was raised in Plymouth, Wisconsin whose population is 8,000 and a center of the cheese and dairy industry. It was there that she was grounded in her values and work ethic. Both of Laura’s parents are from the area and she took great pride growing up among her family roots and in her family’s photography business. Plymouth was a wonderful city in which to begin her life and she still has close ties to the community and Wisconsin.

The advantages of growing up in a small community were great. Laura benefited from the Plymouth Public School system starting at age 4 when she began speech therapy. Upon realizing that Laura was developing patterns of unclear enunciations, her parents enrolled her into speech therapy for which Laura credits with putting her on the path she is on today. Once she was able to speak clearly – she never wanted to stop! Today, as Laura speaks for a living she is always thankful for her parent’s realization in her early childhood development that there was a foreseeable problem that could be fixed and has a great respect for those teachers that specialize in children’s therapies and early childhood education. Laura enjoyed a wonderful childhood with her parents, sister, grandparents, cousins and neighbors and was always active whether in student government, theater, debate or sports.

It’s no doubt that Laura got her strong work ethic from her parents. In 2nd grade, her Dad was “let go” from the cheese company when it was bought out by another company that no longer needed his position. That’s when Laura’s Dad and Mom, who left her first love as a Registered Nurse to be an amazing stay at home Mom 8 years earlier, made a decision to follow her Dad’s talent and passion for pictures and moved their side business from the basement into a photography studio for family, wedding, graduate and commercial photography. With her Dad as the photographer and Mom as the business manager, Laura and her sister Andrea as “assistants”, it truly was a family business.

Laura’s parents invested a lot of hard work to make their photography studio successful by working together combining great optimism and positive attitudes. Laura and her sister carried gear, stamped envelopes and still take appointments and orders in the studio when they’re home visiting. It’s been over 30 years and she and her sister are both proud to see the success of the business with her Dad now an award winning Master Craftsman photographer and her Mom an active businesswoman in their studio and both as active leaders in the Chamber of Commerce and community.

Laura and her sister were raised with a lot of love and learned a lot and benefited by seeing the trials, tribulations and successes of a small business - like being responsible for their own health insurance, relying only on yourselves for income, not having those automatic vacation days (if you’re not working – you’re not getting paid!) and of course working 7 days a week but it was all worth it. Laura learned from her parents and their business that although you may sometimes wish your job were 9-5, your career is 24/7. Her parents instilled in her a great sense of faith as well as simple but smart mantra’s such as be nice to others and they will do the same to you, the importance of keeping a positive attitude and work hard and you’ll get results. Laura and her sister watched their example and try to live true to it everyday.

The White House

Starting at 19 years of age in the Office of the Press Secretary the day after the 1993 Inauguration, Laura embarked on a journey that took her through the crises, adversities, and triumphs of our nation as well as the Executive Branch to become a Special Assistant to the President. Laura began in The Office of the Press Secretary as a staff assistant and quickly moved up the ranks to become the Assistant Coordinator of Specialty Press in the summer of 1993. A year later was named a Special Assistant to the President as the Midwest Press Secretary and in 1995 became the Director of Television, serving dual roles in 1997 as the Assistant Press Secretary for Television News. In 1998 she accepted the position as the White House Director of Events in the White House Social Office. Laura closed out the Administration as the Special Advisor to the Chief of Staff for the final three months of an era, joining an elite group that served all 8 years of the Clinton Presidency. During the Administration and still today, Laura is best known for her incredible ability to visually shape the President’s message whether using the White House or the dessert as a backdrop to reach every corner of the population.

Eat, Drink & Succeed

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Cover of Eat, Drink & Succeed!

Communications wunderkind Laura Schwartz networked her way from answering phones for President Clinton’s press office at age 19 to producing more than 1,000 events as the White House Director of Events. In her first book, Eat, Drink & Succeed, Schwartz, now a professional speaker and national television commentator, shares the secrets that skyrocketed her onto the world stage. Taking a cue from show biz, she presents her strategy in fun and easy-to-follow steps: Setting the Scene, Casting Call, Dress Rehearsal, Showtime and Encore! Eat, Drink & Succeed is an entertaining and enlightening read, appropriate for boardroom or beachside. $16.95, in stores, on Amazon and at www.EatDrinkandSucceed.com. Today, Schwartz is a professional motivational speaker presenting to Fortune’s Top 50 and 500 companies, independent businesses, industry associations, universities and nonprofit organizations, teaching people of all ages how they too, can: EAT, DRINK & SUCCEED!

Keynote Speaker, Emcee

Laura presents Eat, Drink & Succeed! 2011
Laura Emcees United Way Community Celebration 2011

Laura is a well known a mistress of ceremonies for events including charity galas, sporting events, panel discussions and fashion shows. Laura is the annual emcee for the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk in Chicago’s Grant Park and suburban locations and the Community Celebration for the United Way in recognition of the top corporate executives, volunteers and government officials throughout the country.

Television

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Laura with Larry King covering the 2008 Presiential Campaign

Besides stages, Laura is on your screens as an international television commentator. She covered the 2008 Presidential Campaign for the CBS Early Show, prior to joining CBS, Laura was the on air Political Analyst for the Fox News Channel 2004-2007 and was the Special Correspondent to Larry King Live and CNN for the presidential primaries. Laura is also seen internationally on Good Morning London, the BBC World News and Sir David Frost’s “Frost Over the World.”

2004 Presidential Election and The Discovery Network

During the 2004 Presidential Primary Campaign, Laura was the series consultant to the Discovery Times Network’s “STAFFERS” series, a reality based television program that took viewers behind the scenes of the early campaign for the Democratic Party’s nominee. Following the final filming of “STAFFERS,” Laura took a senior role within the John Kerry Campaign as a Senior Advisor and the Trip Director to Teresa Heinz Kerry and traveled with she and Senator Kerry 24/7 from April through the November election. Laura currently speaks frequently to audiences taking them behind the scenes and unveils the inner workings of campaigns, elections and the presidency.

Laura participated in the 1996 and 2000 Presidential Elections in accordance to the Hatch Act while working in the Clinton Administration. In 1996 she choreographed the television on the Train Trip of the President from West Virginia to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and Election Night in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 2000, Laura worked with the role of the Clintons at Vice President Al Gore’s Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles and with the Vice President’s concession speech after the Supreme Court decision.

2008 Presidential Election

Laura Schwartz is an expert commentator on politics and its influence in film, fashion and pop culture. As an international commentator Laura covers special events such as the Oscars, the Royal Wedding, political conventions and sporting extravaganzas across the world.

After working inside the White House for 8 years as a Special Assistant to the President and the Midwest Press Secretary, Director of Television and Director of Events and following the 2004 election, Laura became a national political commentator on Fox News Channel, CNN and MSNBC becoming Fox News Channel’s National Political Analyst in 2005. In 2007 Laura moved to CNN to appear on Larry King Live’s special primary editions throughout the primaries. Following the primaries, Laura joined the CBS Early Show with her segment "Trail Mix" as she covered the lighter side of the General Presidential Election traveling to and appearing from the national conventions, debates and in studio. Laura appears across many platforms including international outlets for the BBC and with Sir David Frost on "Frost Over the World".

Awards

In 2011 Laura was named one of the ‘100 Most Influential Women’ by Today’s Chicago Woman Magazine and in 2010 Chicago Magazine named her one of Chicago’s Five ‘Most Bold and Beautiful’ for her contributions to the community. In 2012 Laura received the Steve Kimble Leadership Foundation Award for Excellence and Advocacy. Laura was honored by the American University, Washington DC with their “Leadership in Education” award in 2007 and in January 2009, Laura was invited to speak at the prestigious Oxford Union in England on the Foreign Policy Legacy of the United States and the role of Women in the World.

Boards

Laura serves on both national and regional boards of non-profits and media organizations including the American Heart Association, The Illinois Institute of Art, P.A.V.E. and Event Solutions Magazine.

The Clinton Foundation

Following the White House years, Laura remained steadfast with Former President Clinton and his fight for economic empowerment, the battle against HIV/AIDS, radical ethnic and religious reconciliation and citizen service and following has traveled around the world with him from Chicago, Illinois to Sarajevo, Bosnia and many countries in between for his Foundation, Library and Lecture Series through 2003.

References

  1. ^ Ashley Brooks (July 1, 2010). "Laura Schwartz about". White House Strategies. Retrieved August 4, 2011.

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