We’re profiling the twelve KAs in the Obama Administration. This is part 3 of 3. Read part 1 here.
The Confidante
Lucia Cho
Her office being housed in the Pentagon, Lucia Cho takes very seriously her department’s vital mission: “to support those who fight to protect our nation.” As the Confidential Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), she is responsible for managing the calendar and travels (including the security) of Robert F. Hale, who is essentially the Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Defense. According to Cho, Hale is “extremely down to earth,” and “an inspiring leader,” so that makes her job enjoyable, too.
The 28-year-old from Burke, Virginia, came from a business background and, throughout her life, worked at various establishments run by her parents, from a fried fish carry-out to a deli. After she graduated from George Mason University, she would work her way up in the restaurant business and then left that industry two years ago to become an executive assistant at the Office of the Under Secretary. Recognized for being a hardworking team player, Cho landed her current position as Hale’s assistant. She called the Obama administration a “breath of fresh air” that is “doing what is right and fair.”
Ebb and Flow
Anna Kim
Anna Kim serves as an Assistant Staff Secretary at the White House. The Office of the Staff Secretary manages the paper flow to and from the president. Kim was active in Obama’s campaign, often blogging for the campaign’s Organizing for America (formerly called Obama for America) website.
Home Secure Home
Leezie Kim
Ask Leezie Kim what she did the other day, and her answer will go something like this: in the morning, reviewed new airport security measures with a legal team; by afternoon, went over environmental matters related to the border fence along the Southwestern border; and before day’s end, assessed weather reports to see if blizzards across the nation would yield FEMA disaster declaration requests.
As Deputy General Counsel for the Department of Homeland Security, Kim carries a heavy load. Fortunately, she notes, she’s not alone. There are some 1,700 attorneys working for the DHS headquarters and all of its component legal offices at the Secret Service, Coast Guard and FEMA, among others. The mission of the 230,000-employee department, which was created post-9/11, is broadly to keep America safe. And so falling under its purview are such responsibilities as border security, cybersecurity, emergency response and enforcement of immigration laws.
“The lawyers I work with are so dedicated to the mission and are such patriots,” Kim told KoreAm in an email. Prior to serving under Homeland Security General Counsel Ivan Fong for the past year, the 38-year-old led a distinguished career as a private attorney. She was the first Asian American partner at Quarles & Brady Streight Lang’s Corporate Services Group in Phoenix, Ariz.
Arizona Women named her one of the five “best and brightest” attorneys in the state in 2006. She also formerly served as DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano’s general counsel when the latter was Arizona governor. When Napolitano was called to Homeland Security, she tapped Kim to make the big move with her.
Ready, Set, Swim
Eddie Lee
Eddie Lee is a swimmer. And he has proven that time and time again, ever since his mom threw him, at age 6, into the deep end of a pool—you might call it an old-school way of teaching your kid to swim. Fortunately, he not only survived that day, but emerged later a competitive swimmer in high school. The water analogy would also follow him.
In 2008, Lee took time off as an undergraduate from Harvard University to work for Obama’s presidential campaign. Although largely inexperienced in the area, he took on multimedia duties, including making videos and executing web-based projects. “They gave me software, the technology and equipment, and I had to figure it out,” recalled Lee. “It’s like throwing you into the deep end of the pool. That’s fortunately, how I learn best.”
After graduating from Harvard last year, the 23-year-old landed a position at the Department of Education, and he credits his new media skills learned on the fly during the campaign. As special assistant in communications and outreach at the department, Lee is using new media to engage youth in a conversation about the importance of education (such as with a recent video contest that yielded 600 submissions from students across the nation) and to encourage parents’ participation in their children’s education.
As the administration is deciding whether to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act, Lee is traveling the country seeking input about what’s working in schools and what’s not. Although concensus is not always easy to reach in Washington, he says he’s hopeful the nation will be able to implement meaningful educational reform. “Education is not necessarily a divisive issue,” he noted. “We can all agree our students deserve the best, that they are our future.”
Spoken like a true optimist—and experienced swimmer.
—Written and compiled by Julie Ha and Ellis Song
more profiles:
Born to Serve: David S. Kim
Lady in Green: Rhea S. Suh
POTUS’ BFF: Eugene Kang
Justice for All: A. Marisa Chun
Concensus Builder: Chris Kang
People Mover: Betsy Kim
The Liaison: Gary Lee
The Guardian: Rexon Ryu
