Sylvia Mathews Burwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sylvia Mathews Burwell
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Official portrait, 2014
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| 15th President of American University | |
| In office June 1, 2017 – June 30, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Cornelius M. Kerwin |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan R. Alger |
| 22nd United States Secretary of Health and Human Services | |
| In office June 9, 2014 – January 20, 2017 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Bill Corr Mary Wakefield (acting) |
| Preceded by | Kathleen Sebelius |
| Succeeded by | Tom Price |
| 39th Director of the Office of Management and Budget | |
| In office April 24, 2013 – June 9, 2014 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Brian Deese |
| Preceded by | Jack Lew |
| Succeeded by | Shaun Donovan |
| Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget | |
| In office October 21, 1998 – January 20, 2001 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Jack Lew |
| Succeeded by | Sean O'Keefe |
| White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy | |
| In office January 20, 1997 – October 21, 1998 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Harold M. Ickes |
| Succeeded by | Maria Echaveste |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sylvia Mary Mathews
June 23, 1965 Hinton, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Stephen Burwell |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) Worcester College, Oxford (BA) |
Sylvia Mary Burwell (née Mathews; born June 23, 1965) is an American leader who has worked in government and for non-profit groups. From 2017 to 2024, she was the 15th president of American University. She was the first woman to lead the university.
Before that, Burwell was the 22nd United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. President Barack Obama chose her for this role in 2014. The Senate approved her nomination, and she served until the end of Obama's time in office. She also directed the White House Office of Management and Budget from 2013 to 2014.
Burwell is from West Virginia. She first worked for the U.S. government in Washington, D.C., during the presidency of Bill Clinton. She helped create the National Economic Council in 1993. She also worked as Chief of Staff for Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. Later, she was Deputy White House Chief of Staff and then deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Between her government jobs, Burwell led the charitable foundation for Walmart. This foundation focused on ending hunger. Before that, she was president of the Global Development Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. There, she worked to fight world poverty. She joined the Gates Foundation in 2001.
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Sylvia Burwell's Early Life and Education
Sylvia Mathews was born and grew up in Hinton, West Virginia. This is a small town with about 3,000 people. Her mother, Cleo Mathews, was a teacher and also served as Hinton's mayor. Her father, Dr. William Peter Mathews, was an eye doctor. He also led the local Episcopal Church when there was no minister.
Her grandparents on both sides were Greek immigrants. Her grandparents owned a sweet shop in Hinton. Sylvia has one older sister.
Sylvia became interested in politics when she was in grade school. She helped with a campaign for county commissioner. She also helped with Jay Rockefeller's first campaign for governor. In high school, she was student body president and played on the basketball team. She was the top student in her graduating class.
In 1982, she was an exchange student in Japan. While in college, she worked for West Virginia Congressman Nick Rahall. She also worked for Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. She was a researcher for his 1988 presidential campaign.
In 1987, Mathews earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University. Then, she went to the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. She studied philosophy, politics, and economics. She also enjoyed rowing in her free time.
Sylvia Burwell's Career Journey
Early Government Work with President Clinton
Mathews started her career in 1990 at a consulting firm in New York. In 1992, she joined Bill Clinton's presidential campaign. She led the economic team for the president-elect. After Clinton became president, Mathews helped create the National Economic Council (NEC). She was the staff director for the NEC from 1993 to 1995. During this time, the White House worked on healthcare reform.
When Robert Rubin became Secretary of the Treasury in 1995, Mathews became his chief of staff. In 1997, Erskine Bowles, the White House Chief of Staff, asked Mathews to be a deputy chief of staff. She was one of two deputy chiefs of staff. Her job was to keep the White House focused on its goals. This was important during the time of Clinton's impeachment.
Bowles praised her as smart and hardworking. He said she was good at getting people to work together. When Bowles left in 1998, Mathews moved to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). She became the deputy director under Jack Lew. She stayed at the OMB for the rest of Clinton's presidency. During this time, the government had three budget surpluses.
Helping Others Through Foundations
In 2001, Mathews moved to Seattle, Washington. She started working for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This is one of the largest charity organizations in the U.S. She became an executive vice president. The next year, she became the chief operating officer. In 2006, the Foundation reorganized. Mathews was named president of its Global Development Program. This program worked to fight poverty around the world.
She also served on the board of the University of Washington Medical Center. She helped oversee upgrades to their electronic medical records. She also helped set up a program to fix a billing issue. Mathews was a Director for MetLife and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. She also served on the boards of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Nike Foundation Advisory Group.
In 2005, the Wall Street Journal named Mathews one of "The 50 Women to Watch" globally. This was for her work with the Gates Foundation. In 2008, after she married and became Sylvia Mathews Burwell, she helped with the Obama/Biden transition team. She stayed with the Gates Foundation until 2011. In 2012, she joined the Wal-Mart Foundation as its president. This foundation works to end hunger in the United States. She moved to Bentonville, Arkansas, for this job.
Leading the Office of Management and Budget
On March 3, 2013, President Barack Obama chose Burwell to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget. This office helps the president manage the government's money. A hearing was held to approve her nomination. Burwell received strong support from both political parties. The U.S. Senate approved her by a vote of 96–0. She became only the second woman to lead the OMB.
Burwell took the job when some lawmakers wanted to cut spending. They also wanted to stop funding Obama's healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act. In September 2013, Congress could not agree on a budget. As Director, Burwell had to start a federal government shutdown. This was the first U.S. federal government shutdown in 17 years.
Burwell sent a memo telling agencies to shut down. This included closing national parks and even the "panda-cam" at the National Zoo. The shutdown lasted 16 days. After the government reopened, Burwell helped create a two-year budget deal. This helped avoid future shutdowns.
Becoming Health and Human Services Secretary
On April 11, 2014, Obama nominated Burwell to be the next secretary of health and human services. She replaced Kathleen Sebelius. Obama praised Burwell as a "proven manager" who gets "results." The Senate approved her as Secretary on June 5, 2014, by a vote of 78–17. She was sworn into office on June 9, 2014.
As Secretary, she oversaw the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This department had many employees and managed important programs. These included Medicare and Medicaid. It also included the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the end of her time, Burwell received praise from senators from both parties.
See also
In Spanish: Sylvia Mathews Burwell para niños
