President-Elect Obama Names Official Transition Team at www.change.gov at “Say Cheese”

John Podesta, Valerie Jarrett and Pete Rouse have been named co-chairs of Barack Obama’s and Joe Biden’s transition team, according to Nick Shapiro of the Obama-Biden campaign. A new 501(c)(4), to be known as the Obama-Biden Transition Project, is being formally planned.

Podesta served as Bill Clinton’s chief of staff and is currently president of the Center for American Progress. Jarrett is a long-time associate of Obama’s from Chicago and has served as senior advisor to his campaign. Rouse has served as Obama’s chief of staff during his U.S. Senate tenure, a position Rouse also filled for former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.

An advisory board will be made up of Carol Browner, William Daley, Christopher Edley, Michael Froman, Julius Genachowski, Donald Gips, Governor Janet Napolitano, Federico Peña, Susan Rice and Sonal Shah, as well as Mark Gitenstein and Ted Kaufman. The latter two men have been tapped to serve as co-chairs of Biden’s transition team.

A press release issued by Shapiro has named transition team staff members who will oversee day-to-day activities:

Transition Senior Staff:

Chris Lu – Executive Director

Dan Pfeiffer – Communications Director

Stephanie Cutter – Chief Spokesperson

Cassandra Butts – General Counsel

Jim Messina – Personnel Director

Patrick Gaspard – Associate Personnel Director

Christine Varney - Personnel Counsel

Melody Barnes – Co-Director of Agency Review

Lisa Brown – Co-Director of Agency Review

Phil Schiliro – Director of Congressional Relations

Michael Strautmanis – Director of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs

Katy Kale – Director of Operations

Brad Kiley – Director of Operations