Maria Echaveste facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria Echaveste
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Echaveste in 1998
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| White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy | |
| In office June 29, 1998 – January 20, 2001 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Sylvia Burwell |
| Succeeded by | Joshua Bolten |
| Director of the Office of Public Liaison | |
| In office February 7, 1997 – June 29, 1998 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Alexis Herman |
| Succeeded by | Minyon Moore |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 31, 1954 Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Christopher Edley (died 2024) |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) University of California, Berkeley (JD) |
Maria Echaveste (born May 31, 1954) is an American politician and civil rights activist. She served as a key advisor to President Bill Clinton and was the White House Deputy Chief of Staff. This made her one of the highest-ranking Latina women to ever work in a U.S. president's administration.
Today, she is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, a group that researches and suggests new ideas for the country. She also co-founded the Nueva Vista Group, which helps organizations understand and work with the government.
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Early Life and Education
Maria Echaveste was born in Texas. Her parents were immigrants from Mexico, and she was one of seven children. Her family later moved to California.
She was a dedicated student and went to top universities. In 1976, she earned a degree in anthropology from Stanford University. In 1980, she received her law degree (a Juris Doctor or JD) from the University of California, Berkeley. After finishing law school, she worked as a lawyer in Los Angeles and New York.
A Career in Public Service
Echaveste spent many years working for the U.S. government. Her goal was to help people and make sure laws were fair.
Protecting Workers' Rights
From 1993 to 1997, Echaveste led the Wage and Hour Division for the U.S. Department of Labor. Her job was to make sure companies followed important laws that protect workers. These laws included the Family and Medical Leave Act, which lets people take time off for family or health reasons, and the Fair Labor Standards Act, which sets rules for minimum wage and working hours.
One of her biggest achievements was starting an anti-sweatshop program. This program worked to stop unfair and unsafe working conditions in factories. It was so successful that it won an award from Harvard University in 1996 for being an innovative idea in government.
Working in the White House
In 1997, Echaveste began working directly for President Bill Clinton at the White House.
Director of Public Liaison
From 1997 to 1998, she was the Director of Public Liaison. In this role, she was the president's link to the American people. She helped the White House communicate with different groups and communities across the country.
Deputy Chief of Staff
From 1998 to 2001, she was promoted to Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff. This was a very powerful job where she helped manage the president's plans for the country. She worked on important issues like education, civil rights, and immigration.
She also helped organize relief efforts for natural disasters in the U.S. and other countries. Echaveste was also involved in international issues, especially those related to Latin America. At the end of the Clinton administration, she helped manage the White House's preparations for the year 2000 celebration and the transition to the next president.
Life After the White House
After leaving the government, Echaveste continued to be active in politics and education. She co-founded the Nueva Vista Group, a consulting firm that advises companies and non-profit groups on issues like immigration and health care.
She is a part-time lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, where she shares her knowledge with students. She is also the President and CEO of the Opportunity Institute, a non-profit group that researches ways to improve education and create economic opportunities for everyone.
Echaveste has often appeared on television as a political commentator, sharing her opinions on shows on PBS and MSNBC. In 2010, she served as a special representative to Bolivia for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
In 2014, President Barack Obama nominated her to be the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. If confirmed, she would have been the first woman to hold that important position. However, she later withdrew her name from consideration.
