This summer, the White House Office of Public Engagement is hosting Community Leaders Briefings. These events, held weekly at the White House, bring together leaders and activists from communities all across the country for an opportunity to discuss common challenges and learn how the government can help them as they work to improve their neighborhoods. Recently, a group of community leaders from Florida were pleasantly surprised when President Obama dropped by to speak to them.
The President reflected on the first two years of his Administration and how they were in such a hurry to get things done and not focused enough on the spirit that brought him to the White House in the first place. As a result, his Administration is now focused on making sure our grassroots friends are in constant communication with the White House.
As a result of that change in focus, the President and his Administration have launched a series of new programs. Over the past few months the Administration has been holding hundreds of roundtable events across the United States with community leaders. The White House has also launched a Champions of Change Series. Each week a group of people from across the country to the White House who are doing great things in their communities. The President feels that communication with communities is extremely important, and that’s why we are hosting these events.
Anne Filipic is a Deputy Director of the Office of Public Engagement