Oral history interview with Lauren S. Vrazilek, 2021
Abstract
Lauren Vrazilek recounts her experiences within the Obama administration as the first lady's deputy assistant director of correspondence from 2011 to 2014, director of correspondence and associate director of digital engagement from 2014 to 2015, and deputy press secretary from 2015 to 2017. Vrazilek focuses on her role as deputy press secretary for the first lady, outlining her work on the Joining Forces and Reach Higher initiatives, which supported military family members and inspiring students to complete higher education respectively. Vrazilek discusses the correspondence and communications teams' efforts to harness new forms of media including social media and viral moments. Vrazilek recounts how her experience in the administration gave her a sense of Obama's relatability to the American public. Also discussed are Vrazilek's time as a White House intern in 2010, state dinners, the lifting of the photo ban in the White House, the leadership of Howli Ledbetter and Tina Tchen, and the diverse staff in the East Wing.
Presidents--United States; Families of military personnel--Services for--United States; Digital media--Political aspects--United States; Vrazilek, Lauren; Obama, Barack; Obama, Michelle, 1964-; United States. Office of the First Lady
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2021
Physical Description
55 pages
Note (Biographical)
Lauren Vrazilek is an American public servant and government official. Vrazilek joined the administration directly after graduating from the University of California in Santa Barbara, and she served in a variety of roles in the office of First Lady Mi chelle Obama, including deputy assistant director of correspondence from 2011 to 2014, director of correspondence and associate director of digital engagement from 2014 to 2015, and deputy press secretary from 2015 to 2017
Note
Interviewed by Mary Marshall Clark on May 21, 2021. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Lauren S. Vrazilek, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023